Blurring The Lines
by RegalCarnage19
Summary: Sometimes in war, to truly defeat one's enemy you must gain an understanding of them. How they think, how they fight, and what they want. If humanity is to survive, they would need to do more than just fight the Sirens they would need to understand them… "Let go of his cheeks Atago!" (Requested)
1. The First Step

_**Hello!**_

_**So I doubt any of my usual readers were expecting a new story from me given how busy I have been but a close friend of mine who's birthday just passed put in a request for me to write a story or in this case at least the first chapter of a story for a crossover of Azur Lane and Naruto. Now I'm not one to disappoint so I've put something together for her even if I'm not fully sure what'll come of this or if its even any good.**_

_**As it stands, this is just a little something for them but I guess depending on the response I may keep up with it a smaller thing. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it or if not then I at least want to say thank you for giving it a chance and reading it. If you aren't familiar with Azur Lane I will also be leaving the list of character names as they appear so that you can easily search them up to get a clear picture of what everyone looks like.**_

_**Anywho, enjoy!**_

* * *

_War_.

_A simple word but one that could inspire a myriad of complex and emotional responses within the core of those with true knowledge of just what war truly was. For those left safe far from the front lines, war was often just a facade pushed for by those who wished to further their own goals bereft of the suffering that came with sending young men and women to their deaths far from home. _

_To those hidden elites, the shadows with their hands in all pockets war was a tool, a means to an end. Be if for profit or influence the cause was irrelevant so long as when the dust settled their needs were satisfied and agendas forwarded. Some sought conflict merely for the sake of it, men and women whose only goals were to watch the world burn in a rain of smoke and fire. Some believe war is a necessity for progress, that conflict breeds perfection... the strong would be rewarded with a world devoid of weakness and would hold the strength to defend their way of life without burden._

_And to those brave soldiers, those that gave their lives in hope that salvation might be birthed from sacrifice?..._

_War was just the crucible that would either make them or break them_.

_..._

"Are you sure about this?"

Steely grey eyes stared hopefully at the pulsing cube rested within their grasp, delicate gloved fingers hovered almost lovingly over its smooth surface and the cube responded, in turn, humming to life with a soft purple glow. Those spectating would dare say the anticipation was shared by both despite evidence to the contrary.

"Can we ever really be sure when venturing into the unknown? To blaze a trail is to discard those fears in the name of progress."

Golden eyes rolled in exasperation. "Philosophy doesn't suit you, Commander. Stick to leading rather than speeches, nya~"

"Fufufu... Don't be so cruel Akashi, it's not every day we are gathered for such an event, let her indulge a bit." A busty beauty chided with amusement from her position off to the side, gloved fingers brushed away long flowing locks of ebony hair tucking it softly behind her ears. "Wouldn't you agree, Takao-chan?~"

"There is nothing wrong with caution, especially in circumstances such as these Atago." Another more serious voice chastised lightly not at all phased by her sisters teasing tone. "You do remember just why we are here after all?" She asked resting her hand upon the elegant sword sheathed by her hip.

Her sister gave a wistful smile and nodded. "Of course, but to greet a new sister in arms with weapons draw is rather cruel... it would be a shame to have one's first memories be tainted with fear of their comrades." She answered smoothly but none the less readied herself as well.

"That won't be needed." The commander's voice cut through the chatter reminding them of the gravity of their current situation. "All of our work comes to a head here, we've gone over the calculations hundreds of times." She assured with the utmost confidence in their work.

"Nyaa~, Calculations can still be incorrect Commander... Akashi would still suggest standing back just to be safe." Her fluffy ears twitched in a mixture of anticipation and worry, her inherent curiosity being tempered only by her concern for her comrades' safety. "Siren technology is volatile at the best of times on its own..."

"Very well." She sighed and placed the cube back onto the small pedestal it had once rested upon, the purple hum dying down slightly at the loss of contact fading back into an almost hypnotic lull that belied the potential danger hidden within its compact form. "Are we ready to initialize?" She questioned.

Akashi nodded. "Hai! We are set to go on your mark, nya!" Akashi made her way over to a nearby lever and waited for further instruction, her golden eyes locked onto the podium as a small bead of sweat made its way down her brow.

The Commander nodded and turned to her two guards for this event. "Although I do not think it will be needed, are you two prepared for the worst-case scenario?" She asked looking between the two sisters who quickly made their way to her side.

"Nothing will harm you on our watch." Takao assured tightening her grip on her blade but otherwise maintained her composure.

"Ara, what kind of big sister would I be if I let our dear commander be harmed?" Atago laughed behind her hand but she nodded in assurance that she would be ready at a moment's notice if the need arose.

"Then I put my faith in you two." She said giving them a brief smile, one full of the confidence they had come to expect from her before turning to a waiting Akashi. "On my mark!"

"3!..."

Akashi's hands fastened themselves around the lever, gripping the cold metally tightly between her 'fingers' as the count began, shivers ran down her spine but she remained firm with only the violent twitching of her ears revealing any real indication of nervousness.

"2!..."

Takao and Atago took a half step forward in preparation ensuring their commander was safely behind them, bodies tensed they waited for the final count that would see months of work realized. Though in what form it would take was beyond them.

"1!..."

The Commander narrowed her eyes but there was no anger in her gaze, no hatred or condemnation... only resolve. She had the utmost faith that the time they had spent working on this project would not be lost in vain but would bear the fruit that might help deliver them to the peace they so greatly craved.

"Go!"

"Nya! Get ready!" Akashi slammed the lever down and the room around them hummed to life with the sound of machines spinning up, monitor screens burned with various charts and diagrams while the crackle of electricity sparked in the air causing the hair on their arms to stand on end.

"Wisdom cube frequency matched, prepare for manifestation!" Akashi's voice called out over the noise as the podium beneath the object of their undivided attention began to spark.

They watched with bated breath as violet arks of energy began to billow from the now vibrating cube, the once tepid glow had progressed into a violent pulsing of purple light that washed over the assembled group like a tidal wave pushing them all back slightly but not deterring them in the slightest.

The cube cracked, a hairline fracture at first but it grew, spreading all over the surface as more light emanated from within. Once solid rays of purple flashed white, then blue, back to purple, and finally golden light poured out in a fantastical display of illumination blinding the parties who were forced to shield their eyes in fear of burning out their retinas.

"Manifestation process... success!"

Akashi shocked but positive response prompted the group to open their eyes once more. The blinding light that had once bathed the room was now gone, replaced by a softer glow of a humanoid shape floating gently to the ground and coming to rest softly on the cold tile floor below. They watched on in wonder as the remaining maelstrom of power began to dissipate allowing them to finally lay eyes on the result of all their work...

...

Rich ocean blue eyes cracked open slightly, squinting at the sudden influx of light while small pudgy fists rubbed irritably at their edges, tiny digits pawing at the stars lightly as if to banish them by force. Pouty lips fell into a small scowl at the sensation of cold flooring beneath even if it was not as bothersome as it might have first seemed.

"Commander?... Did something go wrong?" An amused but seemingly confounded voiced questioned softly causing sleepy blue eyes to snap slowly to attention, half-lidded eyes coming to rest on the figures looking down upon him

"Big..." Lips moved without thought but it was an apt way to describe the three watching him, they towered over him in size but oddly that did not bring him much anxiety... if anything he only felt curiosity at their presence. They seemed familiar... but how that could be was beyond him.

"Incredible..." The woman in the middle stepped forward, too lost in her own fascination to be stopped by the apprehensive looks her guards had sent her way. Within moments she was knelt before him and he was given a clear view of her as the pair inspected one another in mutual interest.

She had interesting eyes he noted, too light to be blue and nowhere near dark enough to be brown or black... grey was fitting and within those eyes, he saw things, things he felt he should recognize but at the same time escaped him. Her hair was a warm shade of black and tucked away under a pristine white cap though he could see small strands peeking out from the edges that hinted it was longer than he'd first thought.

She had a kind face, soft in all the right places but defined where it counted giving her presence, she wasn't pale but she wasn't tan either falling closer to fair-skinned... thought with her white suit and covered hands, it was hard to tell exactly. She looked at him in wonder and he felt oddly at peace beneath her gaze.

...

She couldn't help but find him fascinating, oh sure he wasn't at all what she was expecting but that was the entire point of this. To see what happened when the lines between Sirens and Humanity were blurred and now the first result of that question was standing right at her feet.

A boy, _lord _that was a question in itself since all records of manifested ships were female and even all encountered Sirens had taken female form so why he was the _sole _exception eluded her but it added to the mystery that she found herself being drawn into.

Pushing past those thoughts she ran over her first thoughts. Given his size, her first instinct was to type him in the Destroyer or Sub-class given their tendency to manifest in more childlike forms but she knew better than to assume since that was more so a trend than an actual rule. She did note that he was very cute and if the circumstances were different, she might have given him a head pat out of pure instinct as he looked up at her with those curious eyes of his.

She'd rarely encountered such a deep and vibrant shade of blue even in all her years at sea and it took a conscious effort on her part to break the line of sight to really inspect him. He had short but messy spiked blond hair with silver streaks that would fit right at home in the Eagle Union or even with the Iron Bloods if she could get her hands on a hair straightener, on his chubby cheeks were three whisker-like markings that faintly reminded her of a cat or a fox and idly she wondered if perhaps that was a side effect of using Sakura ships as the template for their research.

Leaving his face her attention was caught by his attire and in this regard, he clearly took after the Siren base they'd used seeing as he didn't wear very much at all. Dressed in a mixture of blacks and yellows the little blond sported a pair of black shorts with yellow tribal marks along the sides the hummed some mysterious energy. He wore no shirt but in its place, he instead had a small trench coat that stretched to his knees and sported the same tribal patterns. It was buttoned at the neck leaving his pale stomach on display as he shifted from side to side.

In place of shoes, he had two long mechanical socks that seemed to double as armor and contorted snugly around his feet giving him both flexibility and comfort while seemingly also allowing him so feel though them judging by how he'd wiggled uncomfortably upon touching the ground.

If his eyes had been the same sickly yellow as his attire she might have thought they'd just summoned a little Siren directly into their base...

_Actually, they still might have just done that..._

"What's your name little one?" She asked softly doing her best to appear friendly, she didn't want to frighten him. Some might find it hard to believe that humanoids who carried the firepower of warships could be frightened but she'd had the distinct pleasure of meeting some of the more timid ships and she'd learned it was better to start slow.

He looked at her for a brief moment as if not expecting the question before moving to respond.

"Designation... undefined?" He said the words before he'd registered them, he thought he should know who he was but there was a disconnect. Like there were two different answers and they were canceling the other leaving him to flounder at what should have been an easy enough question.

She frowned to herself at that, every ship should instinctively know their name and classification... was it because he technically was the first of his kind? Should she name him, was that even her right?

Seeing their leaders confusion Takao and Atago decided to step forward and introduce themselves to their new... comrade?

"Hello little one, my name is Takao." Takao bowed and gave a gentle smile in the face of his curious glance. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." She greeted formally but there was a warmth to her words that the newborn could still decipher.

"Takao..." He repeated the word to himself and nodded offering his own subdued smile in return before feeling a gentle hand running itself through his hair.

"Ara ara... you are so cute, I'm Atago but you may call me Onee-chan if you'd like~" Atago giggled into her free hand as she played with his spikey locks and to her enjoyment he made no move to stop her merely nodding his head and allowing her to do as she pleased and even leaning slightly into her touch.

"Onee-chan..." He repeated storing the name away and turning back to the woman in white still kneeling before him. "What is your name?..." He asked taking the initiative in the conversation for the first time. Lazy but curious blue eyes locking back onto proud grey ones.

He reminded her a bit of Laffy, she wondered if the two would get along well? She just hoped he wouldn't adopt her drinking habits...

"I am the Commander but that is my title, not my name, my real name is Mirai Suzuki." She introduced with a smile giving him a moment to internalize the information before returning to the matter at hand.

"We still have to call you something, as well as figure out what to class you as." She hummed bringing her own gloved hand up to tussle his hair as Atago had done moments prior and quietly noting that he responded positively to physical contact. "Do you have something you'd like to be called?" She asked giving him the choice to choose, something no other ship had been given adopting the names of the namesakes of modern or antique warships.

He paused and thought, at once millions of names ran through his mind... information he'd never learned but yet somehow _instinctually _knew assaulted him and hundreds of thousands of names flashed through his mind before finally one settled above the rest and he nodded catching the attention of the overseeing trio.

"Naruto..."

"Naruto?" Takao couldn't hide the confusion in her voice as she ran the name past her lips. It was almost certainly a name that would be found with the Sakura Empire so she couldn't say it didn't fit but at the same time, it's not the one she would have expected.

Atago chuckled. "Perhaps he has a taste for ramen? It is possible that maybe the commander passed on some of her bad eating habits during development." The heavy cruiser laughed quietly at the less than amused pout her leader sent her way and offered a placating smile in return showing she meant no real insult.

"Haha very funny..." Mirai scoffed and turned her attention back to the newly dubbed 'Naruto'. "But I have to agree with Takao, why did you choose that name?" She asked quite curious as to what significance the unusual name held to the small blond.

He frowned a bit at the question, not because it was unreasonable but because he didn't truly know why himself... The name just felt right, or maybe Atago was right and he'd picked up something from his creator and it just stuck. He didn't think it had to do with ramen though, he actually found himself being slightly annoyed at the comparison.

"Maelstrom..." He muttered sending a petulant look towards busty swordswoman who giggled and nodded apologetically.

"Ah, my mistake." She apologized, rubbing his cheek with a gloved finger getting a soft sigh of content before gently tapping his nose and withdrawing her hand, any ideas of attacking him long since thrown out the window upon interacting with the quiet but seemingly kind young ship.

"It's a strong name." Takao nodded giving her own support causing him to smile briefly at the compliment. "That still leaves us in the dark about his classification thought." She pointed out.

"Then let him spar with one of us." Atago's answer was simple and to the point, even if it did draw a raised brow from her sister and commanding officer. "Some combat data will do us all some good and it'll get him used to his new role since I doubt he'll be a support ship." She reasoned already making her way towards the door as if certain the others would follow, the soft click of her boot heels fading into the distance as she made her way out.

"She has a point." Mirai nodded and gently took Naruto's hand in her own. "Come on Naruto, you'll be playing with 'Onee-chan' for a little bit." She said leading him out of the lab with a quick wave to Akashi who was off jotting down notes in the corner, something about new "skins" and "precious gems!".

She felt a phantom pain in her wallet and quickly picked up the pace leaving the cat like scientist to scheme in private.

Takao sighed in exasperation at her companions' methods but she had no choice other than to follow along lest things spiral out of control as they tended to do when she allowed her sister too much free reign.

_**-Training Cove-**_

"We're going to have a little spar okay Naru~" Atago gave the boy a kind smile as he stood next to her on the warm sands, the vast expanse of the open ocean that would be their training ground sitting just a few feet away from them. "This isn't a real fight so don't worry too much, Onee-chan just wants to see what you can do." She reassured placing a gentle touch upon his head.

"Okay." He nodded his eyes locked onto the waves crashing softly against the shore as he took in all the new sights and smells around him.

"Very good, now summon you riggings and we'll start on the commander's signal." She shot a wink towards said commander who nodded and stepped forward. "If you impress me I'll treat you afterward so give it your best~" With those final words of encouragement, she leaped into the air, the sand beneath her kicking up in a violent spray as bounded over the dry sands and hovered gently above the crystal clear waters.

With a flash of light, her riggings were by her side, her twin 203-millimeter guns in all their glory sat ready to be fired at her command while underneath her torpedoes were set to launch though she probably wouldn't need them for this, it was just a spar after all. She landed with a slight splash which was unavoidable given her '_Heavy_' designation but she still pulled it off with all the grace she'd become known for during her time here.

Naruto watched with awe at his senior's display of strength, acrobatics, and grace and idly wondered if he'd ever look that cool...

Rather than try leaping after her, the small blond instead wadded his was over to shoreline, his small feet disappearing beneath the waves as the sensation of chilled water lapped at his skin through his 'shoes'. He took a breath and focused on calling his own rigging, he might not have known his true name but he understood war. Maybe not in an emotional sense, he was too young, too fresh... but on an instinctual level?

Light burst off his small frame like a beacon in the dark, waves of violent energy rippling the water at his feet as he summoned forth the power he felt locked away in his core. Life rushed to his eyes at the influx of vitality golden flecks bleeding into bright blue eyes as heavy artillery surrounded him in a shell of powerful armaments that threatened to crush anything in their path.

From the shore, Takao and the Commander watched with no small amount of awe and intrigue as the light faded away to reveal the full extent of the blond firepower.

"It's like looking at a perfect hybrid..." Mirai's eyes ghosted over the newly summoned battlements and immediately took stock of the comically oversized barrels aimed squarely at the Japanese cruiser opposite his position. She was reminded immediately of the new prototype 381mm AA Guns that had been making the rounds but these were in a class of their own.

Forgoing the distinct silver shine of the 381's, his guns were pitch black with the pristine almost chrome-like appearance most Siren weaponry adopted and it was accompanied by the infamous golden yellow trimmings of their kind as well, a melding of modern weaponry meeting more advanced technology... she couldn't help the small pang of anxiousness at the sight of such weaponry in the fashion of the greatest enemy of humanity but schooled herself, he was an ally _not _an enemy.

"So he's a battleship... he's in good company." Takao nodded in respect of the potential firepower on display, while she doubted he could use such weaponry efficiently just yet she knew that once mastered he could very well level entire fleets on his own.

_**-With Atago and Naruto-**_

"Those are some impressive guns, a bit big for my tastes but fearsome nonetheless." Atago smiled not showing any real signs of worry at the imposing sight if anything she found it a bit adorable to see the sleepy-looking child surrounded by a shell of earth-shaking weaponry. "Why not fire a round off into the distance to warm yourself up?" She suggested knowing sometimes it took a bit for a ship to adjust to their power, especially those with little combat experience.

"Kay..." He turned his focus to the horizon and his guns followed suit, sleek black metal shining menacingly in the light of the setting sun. "Preparing the first salvo." He intoned shifting his weapons to land somewhere off in the distance to avoid hurting anyone.

A familiar violet light began to build at the outer edges of his weapon barrels, the air sparking around him as deep within his core gears and pistons hummed happily to life, the gold flecks in his eyes shined and he pointed towards the infinite horizon with a soft expression that didn't do justice to surge of excitement that rushed through him in those brief moments.

"Fire."

...

_**BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Atago, Takao, and Mirai could only watch in shock as the sea trembled at the raw force of the blond's main gun, three compressed bolts of humming purplish energy flying like comets overhead leaving beautiful trails of sparks in the sky as they flew before crashing down off into the distance, accompanied by a massive spout of water and steam as they slammed into the depths detonating in a blinding flash of white.

If anything had been in that spot before, it sure as hell didn't exist anymore...

"Ano... Was that too much?..." He rubbed the back of his head in a gesture approximating embarrassment as he looked back towards the spectating audience who were a bit stunned at the display. It wasn't that they'd never seen ships capable of such potential carnage but it was always humbling to see the prowess of a Battleship in action and he was already more than a bit unique among them.

"He's almost certainly going to be a flagship isn't he?" Takao was the first to recover and give her observations, his firepower potential was just unreal and he wasn't even trying yet. "You may have really outdone yourself this time Commander."

Mirai couldn't help the proud grin that blossomed on her face at her subordinate's praise and the display of her newest fleet member. "He's meeting all my expectations and then some... as for being a flagship, well need to see how he handles himself in a fight first." Impressive firepower was nice but if he couldn't take a hit he would be a liability in battle.

"Atago!" She called out to the heavy cruiser who quickly turned to face her commanding officer. "Are you still up to test him or should I bring in someone else?" She questioned carefully, while Atago was by no means weak but it might be better to grab someone who could stand on more equal footing with the blond.

"I'll be fine Commander." Atago waved her off with a reassuring smile, he may have had the raw firepower but she had more experience which would take some of the edge off. "I don't think Naru-chan would try to hurt his Onee-chan to much, would he?" She cooed at the little Battleship who nodded and already they could see the glow of his weaponry fade as he reigned in his power.

"If you say so." Mirai nodded. "Then you may proceed when you are ready."

She grinned and drew her sword while opposite her Naruto merely tilted his head and pointed one small finger in her direction, his turrets locking onto his current target like hounds waiting to be unleashed. She allowed her own guns to match and knew that she would need to keep on her toes if she didn't want to end up in the shipward in need of repairs.

"Let's see what you can do, Naru-chan~"

"Hai..."

* * *

**AN. Chapter Done.**

**This is much shorter than my usual chapter lengths but as I mentioned this was a request to see an idea brought to life, it really wasn't intended to be a proper story so I figured I keep it short. I also have to admit that I don't know much about the story behind Azur Lane so I'm working off what I remember from the games convoluted storytelling and some of the anime (though I am very behind on that). **

**Like I said this was at the request of a friend but do tell me if you enjoyed it and if you're a fan of Azur Lane (Game or the Anime). Maybe I'll continue this at some point if people like it enough.**

**I imagine if you know nothing about either then this story seems like utter nonsense and maybe it still does even if you know plenty about it lol. I will say that if I continue this I do have explanations planned out that will explain why we have a small Naruto (they wanted a chibi and I like a challenge lol), what he's doing here, and so on. **

**Anyway not going to be a long AN, let me know your thoughts and all see you all in either another story or perhaps even an update to this one.**

**List of AL Characters mentioned:**

**Atago**

**Akashi**

**Takao**

**The Commander (is the player so technically OC I guess)**


	2. Meeting His Seniors

_**-Last Chapter-**_

_"He's almost certainly going to be a flagship isn't he?" Takao was the first to recover and give her observations, his firepower potential was just unreal and he wasn't even trying yet. "You may have really outdone yourself this time Commander."_

_Mirai couldn't help the proud grin that blossomed on her face at her subordinate's praise and the display of her newest fleet member. "He's meeting all my expectations and then some... as for being a flagship, well need to see how he handles himself in a fight first." Impressive firepower was nice but if he couldn't take a hit he would be a liability in battle._

_"Atago!" She called out to the heavy cruiser who quickly turned to face her commanding officer. "Are you still up to test him or should I bring in someone else?" She questioned carefully, while Atago was by no means weak but it might be better to grab someone who could stand on more equal footing with the blond._

_"I'll be fine Commander." Atago waved her off with a reassuring smile, he may have had the raw firepower but she had more experience which would take some of the edge off. "I don't think Naru-chan would try to hurt his Onee-chan to much, would he?" She cooed at the little Battleship who nodded and already they could see the glow of his weaponry fade as he reigned in his power._

_"If you say so." Mirai nodded. "Then you may proceed when you are ready."_

_She grinned and drew her sword while opposite her Naruto merely tilted his head and pointed one small finger in her direction, his turrets locking onto his current target like hounds waiting to be unleashed. She allowed her own guns to match and knew that she would need to keep on her toes if she didn't want to end up in the shipward in need of repairs._

_"Let's see what you can do, Naru-chan~"_

_"Hai..."_

**_~Present~_**

"Perhaps Onee-chan bit off a bit more than she can chew..."

Atago grimaced as she threw herself off to the side just as a hail of bullets cut through the space her body had previously occupied, the thin trails of light left over from her opponent's shots quickly fading into the atmosphere but the heated rush of air gave her a warning _not _to get hit by those. Wasting no time she hastily fired her own volley of bullets back at the small blond who had yet to take a single step throughout the entire exercise.

Naruto watched the bullets fly towards his position as if they were going in slow motion, the glowing explosive rounds during a bright crimson as they carried in his direction. His main gun would be no help here and with the slightest though his secondary guns fired with unnatural swiftness, his own rounds colliding with those of his sparring partner in a cloud of smoke that rocked the waters below them.

"He has a talent for combat even if he hasn't shown too much yet, he needs to work on being less predictable though." Takao had been keep notes throughout the entire exchange and she had learned quite a bit about the young Siren but even with her extensive metal notes, there was only so much a spar could show her. "Then again Nee-san hasn't gone all out either." She noted having seen Atago hold back from launching any of her torpedos at the blond, instead, relying on her main guns to attack.

"It is just a spar." Mirai reminded softly but she did not once take her eyes off the exchange of ammunition between the cruiser and the newest Battleship. "We'll learn his limits in time but for now it's okay to take things slow."

Atago smirked and decided to press the blond at closer range, skating past another round of high energy rounds she quickly closed the gap between the two. Drawing her blade she went for a downward slash, nothing lethal by any means but enough to do some noticeable damage to most heavy cruisers.

Sleepy blue eyes widened slightly in surprise at the abrupt shift in attacking style, having not expected such a sudden burst of speed, he was left with no choice but to shield himself with his rigging. Black chrome barrels grated and sparked ominously against her tempered steel but nonetheless succeeded in protecting their young master from harm and to the Japanese cruiser's surprise coming out mostly unscathed.

_Just how thick was his armor?_

Sh didn't have much time to think on that question as she was nearly blasted back by one of the blond's guns firing right in front of her, just barely managing to dodge at the last second with a quick show of flexibility. She winced quietly at the slight burn on her side where the superheated shell had rocketed past and quickly fell back deciding that risking a close-range engagement wasn't worth the trouble with such a stalwart defense.

"How do you feel Naru-chan?" She asked looking to see how the little battleship was holding up. "You aren't too tired are you?" She teased trying to distract from her own state while peering into the steel shell he'd cocooned himself within as a defense. She still struggled to get over just how odd his small body looked surrounded by such imposing weapons.

Sleepy blue eyes peered out from the dark fortress of guns and for a moment she thought she caught sight of a yellow ring outlining those azure orbs of his but she dismissed it for now knowing that in the heat of battle it wasn't uncommon to catch tricks of the light.

"I'm okay..." His slightly monotone voice called out and with a soft grunt of exertion, his rigging opened back up revealing his cloaked form once more. "Did I hurt you?..." He questioned quietly, his half-lidded gaze locked onto hole he'd burned into her white jacket with a small frown.

He didn't want to harm her.

She smiled softly at the hint of concern he showed for her well being, yet another sign that he was just as much one of them as he was a Siren. How she wished she could just set him in her lap and give him a good teasing~. She sighed wistfully at the idea but kept such thoughts to herself, after all, there would be plenty of time for such things in the future.

"Onee-chan is a big girl, you don't have to worry about her." She reassured him sheathing her sword. "You did well though but I think we should cut it here, don't you agree Commander?" She asked gesturing towards the beach where their spectators were off watching the pair.

Mirai nodded, she'd seen more than enough to get a decent gauge of his skill. He was powerful but there was a lot he could learn but that would come with time and experience, perhaps he'd even pick up a few tricks from the other Battleships back at port.

"Come on back, we still have a lot to do before the day ends." She called gesturing them with a wave of her hand.

She had to stifle a laugh though as the small blond forgot to dismiss his rigging and tried to lumber back to shore in his armaments, thankfully Atago managed to help the boy and was now carrying him back to shore looking more than a bit pleased with herself as he was forcefully nestled into her generous bust.

She had the distinct impression this was going to become commonplace between the two...

"Thank you Atago." She smiled at the heavy cruiser before squatting down and tussling Naruto's hair as she did with all the destroyers resisting the urge to coo as he leaned into her gloved hands at the gesture. "You did very well Naru, I'm sure you're going to impress everyone else when they meet you." She praised, though in the back of her mind she honestly wasn't sure how that would go.

His development was actually a secret known only to some of her most trusted ships, not that she wanted to keep secrets from her fleet in the first place but she didn't want word of the project getting out until they at least had some reassurance she wasn't going to unleash a massive Siren threat in the heart of Azur Lane.

Looking back at the boy who was now being held by a faintly flushing Takao while Atago giggled furiously behind her gloved hand she allowed those doubts to recede to the corners of her mind. There would be some resistance but she believed that eventually, they would come to accept him as one of their own.

"Alright that's enough teasing Atago, we still need to get him situated in one of the dorms before tonight since we can't have him sleeping in my office." She chided snorting quietly to herself as Takao hesitated to put the child down her dog-like ears twitching in annoyance before she followed through allowing the blond to waddle over to the Commander's side.

"I take it you two would prefer if he was bunked with the rest of the Sakura girls?" She teased playing on the pairs growing affection for the little warship. "If not I could always ask the Union girls-"

"No need Commander, we'll happily take him~" Atago swiftly interjected and took the boy by the hand. "He is one of us after all." She argued seeing as he was born off data gathered from their faction, even if the other girls didn't know it at the time, so by right he was _technically _a part of the Sakura Empire.

"Takao? Your thoughts."

The cruiser nodded in agreement with her sister's logic though perhaps not for the same reasons. "He has spent more time with us so it would be safer to allow our faction to monitor him until he has been properly introduced to the rest of the major players." She assessed taking a more objective stance than her sister though she wouldn't be surprised if there was a hint of bias in that argument.

She nodded along with their logic anyway, she would have sent him with them regardless but she wanted to hear their thoughts first. Had they actually objected she would have had the small blond stay with her until a more ideal situation could be found.

"Very well." She smiled and looked down at the blond. "I guess it's time for you to meet your seniors Naruto-chan."

"Seniors?..."

...

The Sakura Empire dorms were simple but nonetheless still radiated the elegance the faction tried to carry into all their endeavors. Beautiful paintings of nature and flowers were dotted around the halls while enchanting porcelain and jade vases were sprinkled throughout filled with various assortments of Japanse flora. The walls were painted a simple beige through there was a hint of pink mixed in, no doubt to pay tribute to the primary color of the Empire. Traditional sliding paper doors were spanned entire halls and the smell of burning incense could be faintly detected if one knew what to look for, subtle but just enough to add a bit of flavor.

It was no wonder that many ships from the other factions would often adopt the Sakura style for their own rooms. It was hard to deny the sense of peace and tranquility afforded by the carefully planned setup.

"What do you think Naru-chan? Do you think you'll like it here?~" Atago questioned though it was mostly moot as the three watched the blond wade around the wooden halls with an expression of subdued wonder as explored his new surroundings.

"Pretty..." He intoned pausing in front of a few of the paintings surprising the trio who hadn't expected the boy to take an interest in the art of all things.

"I think he'll do just fine here." Mirai whispered quietly before turning to Takao. "Could you call the Sakura girls together for me, I'd rather they meet him all at once if possible. If a few are missing don't worry but grab who you can." She ordered.

Takao nodded and quietly excused herself to go gather the rest of her faction while She, Takao, and Naruto made their way to the meeting hall stopping every so often along the way to allow him to explore while they waited.

...

"What do you think the Commander wants? It's rare for all of us to be gathered up like this outside of holidays..." A chipper but curious voice muttered out among the hushed whispers of the gathered Sakura ships, Takao having sent out the alert for all of them to meet up in the main hall. "Do you think we did something wrong?!"

"Just be patient Fubuki, we'll find out in a moment but I doubt we're in trouble. " A prim and proper voice reassured the babbling Destroyer, ignoring the crocodile tears running down her face. "_If _the Sakura Empire was failing in their duties I surely would have noticed and put a stop it."

The owner of said voice was none other than Souryruu, one of the Sakura Empires' more seasoned members and one of the more well-known Aircraft Carriers though the reasons for that fame varied from person to person. She was one of the taller ships within the Empire due to the two long rabbit-like ears that jutted out from the top of her head. Long dark blue almost black hair ran down her head to the small of her back and framed her stern but delicate face. Her eyes were a vibrant shade of aqua and were framed by a pair of wide glasses that succeeded in giving her the aura of a teacher.

"Hehehe, leave everything to big sis!" A vibrant but rough voice joined in laughing with mirth as she joined the little trio in chatter having found a comfortable place to sit next to her sister and the still worried destroyer.

"Hiryuu you better not be slacking off over there."

"N-Not at all!"

At first glance, it was hard to believe that Hiryuu and Souryuu were related but they were, in fact, one of the many pairs of sister ships that comprised the Sakura Fleet. Hiryuu, unlike her sister, possessed snow-white hair that was tied up into a short ponytail that hung down to the middle of her back. Like her sister, she also possessed two long rabbit-like ears that gave her a great deal of height and twitched animatedly as she moved, taking in all the sounds around her. Standing side by side it was clear to see that Hiryuu was the more athletic of the two with thicker, more muscled limbs compared to Souryuu's more delicate figure.

Fubuki frowned still fretting slightly to herself even with the reassurances from her elders but took a few breaths to calm herself. Fubuki like most destroyers was a more petite girl, not the smallest by any means but she was more of a budding beauty. Messy, short blue hair that came to her shoulders framed a cute and expressive pair of amber-colored eyes and round rosy cheeks. She was well known for being traditionally "adorable" if a bit scatterbrained at times but reliable nonetheless.

Off to the side, she could see more of her fellow ships mingling amongst one another without much of a care. The destroyer trio of Mutsuki, Kisaragi, and Uzuki were off swapping candies not at all concerned with the abrupt gathering, if anything, they seemed more excited to be surrounded by all the friendly faces. She supposed being the youngest of them they didn't think too much of their duties.

To her right, she could see Shigure and Yukikaze having yet another one of their famous arguments while a befuddled Ayanami spectated off to the side, occasionally nodding her head absentmindedly along with the shouting though it was clear she was only half paying attention to the rowdy duo.

Abruptly a sudden hush fell upon the room, the soft click of the Commander's shoes managing to pierce thought the ambient chatter causing even the most distracted girls to turn their attention to the front of the room.

"Thank you all for coming." She greeted offering a practiced smile, one honed through years of speeches and public appearances. "I apologize for calling you all here on such short notice and I do hope you will bear with me for a few moments..." She spoke slowly, looking over the assembled ships with a critical eye while holding back a slight frown at the lack of few distinct faces that would no doubt be critical to her goals.

"Now I don't want to keep you long but I did call you here for a reason and no it's nothing terrible." She shot a quick look towards Fubuki who laughed nervously and ducked her head a little bit while a few members of the crowd chuckled at their resident destroyer's behavior. "As you are all aware I have been pushing you much harder than usual and for that I want to apologize but there was a reason for it." She said seriously and a soft round of curious murmuring broke through the silence, many of them had been wondering why they'd been sortieing more than usual but had kept quiet for the sake of proving their resolve.

"Getting right down to it... we've been collecting combat data from all of you to help complete a project I've been working on for the past year." She revealed bluntly keeping her expression level even among the many raised eyebrows being sent her way. "As you know we've had several major victories over the Sirens in the past few months..."

Many of the assembled ships smirked with pride knowing they had contributed greatly to those operations, not to diminish the work of the other factions but effects of their presence on the battlefield was undeniable.

"However." She continued. "While we may have pushed them back, for now, the fact remains that we are no closer to understanding their purpose or their motive for attacking humanity… at least that was the case, up until a few hours ago." She revealed proudly and earning a few gasps of surprise as the assembled ships processed her words.

"Now before you ask, no... we have neither discovered the Sirens true intentions nor the source of their creation." She added quickly cutting nipping that train of thought in the bud. "But we have taken the first step in perhaps finally answering those questions."

Takao and Atago silently joined the commander at the front and immediately all eyes were locked on the shifting figure held securely in the arms of the latter, a few of the more observant ships quickly narrowing at the uncomfortably familiar color scheme that decorated the small child.

"I would like to introduce you all to the newest member of both Azur Lane, and more specifically the Sakura Empire! A hybrid of human ingenuity and Siren technology." She grinned and Atago allowed the small blond crawl out of her arms and step forward, his doe eyes taking in all of the assembled ships with unrestrained curiosity.

"Meet Naruto, the first ship of the Hybrid-class and newest Battleship of the Sakura Empire!"

Naruto waved a small chubby hand in greeting, his usual blank stare giving nothing away as he laid eyes upon his new family, his gaze drawn to the wide variety of unique appearances on the display. He wondered if he could grow horns like that too, that would be kind of cool...

"Hello..." He greeted in his quiet voice but with the silence that practically suffocated the room he might as well have been screaming. "Oh... um, I hope we can work well together... did I say that right?" He amended while looking towards Takao who had her face buried in her hands while Atago stifled a laugh at her sister's exasperation and rubbed the boy's hair affectionately.

"You did well." She whispered quietly earning a small smile from the blond who then looked to his new commander for guidance.

Mirai didn't show it but she wished she could join Takao at the rather tense reactions they were receiving...

_Oh, the joys of having to lead from the front._

...

"Why don't you go mingle with your new friends, Onee-chan has to watch over the Commander lest she put her foot in her mouth." Atago chuckled pushing him off closer to the remaining ships while off to the side they could see the Mirai and Takao talking to a few of the older Sakura members.

Atago was more than willing to bet it had to do with their little battleship but she was confident her Commander could handle it, the question was could she do it without stepping on any toes?

"Just remember to be polite and just take it slow, if you get nervous you can come back up here with us." She assured him.

"Mkay..." He nodded and watched as his self appointed big sister made her way over to the whispering adults before turning his attention to the remaining ships who were all staring at him with a range of emotions, some with fear while others looked on with caution, while a few just stared at him with open curiosity.

Making his way off the stage he scanned the room for someone to speak to... there were so many ships here and idly he noted that he felt a strong desire to wander back to the Commander's hip. He shrunk into his coat slightly, a small frown gracing his features at the less than warm reception he could see in many of the eyes of his fellow '_comrades_'.

Maybe it would be best if he waited off to the side for now...

Before he could enact said plan however, he found himself being approached by another ship, a girl only slightly taller than himself due to some of her extra 'features'. She strode up to him with a fearlessness he wasn't expecting and within moments she'd snuck into his personal space, confronting him with a curious pair of bright red eyes.

_*Sniff!*_

...

_*Sniff! Sniff!...*_

It took him a moment to realize that the girl in front of him was... smelling him? Her sharp nose twitching back and forth as she inspected him from head to toe either unaware or uncaring of how odd she might have looked to the outside observer. Unsure of how to respond he allowed her to smell away not truly bothered by the action and only intervening when she attempted to lift his cloak for a closer look, earning a small growl from her but she did not try again.

"Hmmm... you don't smell like you have any meat on you. Do you have any snacks?"

"No..." He replied, caught off guard by the abrupt greeting, was this how Sakura ships greeted one another? Maybe he had more to learn than he first thought. "Ano... who are you?"

"Me? I am Yuudachi!" The girl in front of him pumped her fist in pride taking great honor in carrying such a name. "I am known as the '**Mad Dog of Solomon**'! Hehe, don't underestimate my strength!" She preened placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest. "I'll never back down from a fight and I'll never lose one either!"

"Mad Dog?" He tilted his head cutely as he inspected her and quickly realized how she'd earned the name, or at least the "Dog" portion of it. Atop her head peeking out through a wild mane of silver hair were two metal, dog-like ears. Looking down he could also see a fluffy silver tail wagging from side to side, unintentionally slapping the nearby chairs around them. Like himself, Yuudachi didn't wear much in the way of clothing, a very short top that allowed her sizable chest to peek out from the bottom when she moved and a short skirt that, while thankfully covering her underwear, did little to hide her plush thighs. Her outfit was completed by a pair of bright red shoes sporting a paw print design on the bottom and some baggy socks that clung loosely to her calf.

He suddenly felt slightly more comfortable in his attire.

"Doggy..." He muttered and nodded though she still caught his words and huffed stomping her foot petulantly at being called a dog. The Commander and the rest of the girls always called her a dog!

"I am _not _a dog!" She growled once more invading his space so they were almost nose to nose. "I am the 'Mad Dog'!" She corrected fiercely completely unafraid of getting in his face which was a bit comical given how small both were.

"Oh, mad doggy..." He corrected trying to sound apologetic though his tone was no help in conveying that which only succeeded in annoying Yuudachi further. He wasn't fully sure what the difference was but he would at least make the effort to try and remember. Not that it was doing much good as Yuudachi's pout only grew deeper at his amendment.

"You!..."

"Yuudachi calm down! Obviously, he's going to think you're a dog if you go around acting like one!" Shigure scoffed while making her way over to the conversing duo, behind her Yukikaze and Ayanami followed behind having decided to see what the commotion was about.

"I was not!" She defended rounding on the Neko-ship with a pout. "I was just checking if he had any snacks to share and he called me a dog!"

Shigure shot her a deadpanned look before bopping her fellow destroyer on the head. "Baka! That's something a dog would do!" She hissed pulling the girl off to the side as they went back and forth while Yukikaze joined as well hoping to convince Yuudachi to gang up on her main rival, the trio disappearing into the crowd hissing and growling at one another as they went.

That left him and Ayanami alone.

"Siren."

He turned to the last girl who he assumed was addressing him and nodded.

"Half Siren." He corrected softly but otherwise did not refute her assessment, he saw no reason to hide what he was since that was what he was created to be. "Does that bother you?..." He asked tilting his head curiously but there was no fear in his voice, truthfully, it was hard to gauge any emotions from his tone but to Ayanami his curiosity was clear.

She looked him over quietly for a few moments, her soft orange eyes looking over his attire before coming to rest on his face. Despite her seemingly blank expression, he got the impression that she had more than a few thoughts on his presence here.

"No..." She shook her head, her short white hair waving softly as she did so. "The Commander says you are a friend... I will trust the Commander." She explained and held out her hand to him in a brief gesture of comradery.

"I am Ayanami." She greeted not bothering with titles or extravagance in her introduction, her titles were not things she held pride in to begin with even if she embraced them nonetheless.

"Naruto." He greeted, in turn, taking her hand and noting she had very soft hands for a fighter. Then he remembered something Atago told him to do to help ease his transition into the faction.

"Ano... Ayanami-san has very pretty eyes." He added matching her unflinching expression with one of his own but there was a hint of truth to his words. He didn't know what but he just felt an odd fondness for the shade of warm orange she possessed. He liked his own blue eyes as well but he wouldn't mind having orange eyes either.

Atago had also told him that a compliment goes a long way in making friends, she had made him practice on her and her sister though he wasn't so sure since Takao seemed to get mad when he called her cute. Atago had assured him that she wasn't mad at all but he still had his doubts.

Why would she get all red if she wasn't mad?

Ayanami's eyes widened ever so slightly at the compliment, a fraction of an inch really, almost unnoticeable for anyone who wasn't close to the "Demon Destroyer" but to those who were used to her subtle expressions, they would have caught it easily.

"Thank you..." She wasn't used to compliments from others, the Commander often called her 'ears' cute and her seniors praised her combat abilities, but no one had complimented her eyes before...

He nodded and to his surprise rather than leaving, Ayanami began to lead him around, introducing him to the various other ships who'd yet to work up enough courage or trust to approach him on their own. He made no move to stop her though, allowing himself to be escorted around by the quiet destroyer.

...

"Fufufu... It looks like Naru-chan has won over the "Demon", how unexpected." Atago smiled as she watched from the sidelines as the blond was led from group to group conversing with the other girls, she was glad to see some of the less trusting individuals giving the boy a chance, no doubt reassured somewhat by Ayanami's silent vote of confidence. "Things are going more smoothly than we could have hoped." She preened.

By her side, her sister couldn't help but smile the tension leaving her as she caught sight of the small smile gracing the blond's face as he was dogpiled by the smaller destroyers who didn't have enough combat experience to even know to fear Sirens.

"He still has quite a few people to meet Nee-san, don't celebrate too early." She warned but Atago knew her sister well enough to catch the hope in her tone. She might not have shown it as openly but she could tell her sister was growing fond of their little battleship.

Not that she was in any position to say otherwise.

"Are you worried one about someone in particular?" She questioned but she already knew the answer.

"Two someones, actually." Takao corrected in fact not bothering to hide it, her sister while much too lax in her opinion was as sharp as her blade and no doubt had already guessed the source of her anxiousness.

"It is a fair concern but it is unavoidable..." She sighed nodding along.

"_Commander!_~"

Takao and Atago stiffed as a _very _familiar voice called out from the back of the room, a singsong chime that sent shivers down the spine of nearly every ship in the Sakura faction barring the small few that could stand on even ground with its owner whose unmistakable silhouette was plain to see from behind the thin paper door. Around the room girls of every size, class, and disposition made extream efforts to appear as small as possible.

"I can _smell_ you, Commander!~"

"Speak of the devil and she shall appear." Takao hissed already moving to intercept the coming storm lest the entire dorm be burnt to the ground, while Atago followed suit making a B-line towards Naruto who was staring at the door with confusion wondering why many of the other Sakura ships were suddenly taking cover.

_***Bang!***_

"Ahahaha... there you are Commander..." Nine long bushy tails swayed hypnotically behind their owner as one of the unquestioned leaders of the Sakura Empire stepped elegantly into the room, narrowed ruby eyes scanning the assembled group of ships with disdain as she located the object of her affection trying vainly to hide behind the podium. Much to the amusement of the less worried girls who merely sighed at the somewhat common routine.

"So much trash in my sight..."

Columns of fire began to burn around the new arrival turning the once pleasant atmosphere into a localized heatwave, frightening the younger ships who scrambled to make as much distance as possible from the blaze, while the older ships did their best to remain calm despite the oppressive aura leaking of the newly arrived Carrier.

"Do not worry Commander..." A psychotic grin split her porcelain features.

"Your dearest Akagi will clean it all up!"

* * *

**AN. Chapter Complete!**

**Well, firstly I want to say that I was not at all expecting such a positive response to the first chapter of this fic. Truthfully, I expected this to go mostly overlooked and with maybe a few people checking it out before dipping but you guys seemed to really enjoy it which is cool. I did plan a few chapters in advance so I do hope to get those out before making a final decision on if I am going to keep this story as a regular thing or leave it.**

**However, since I am currently writing it I will treat it like one of my main fics and go over some of the questions I've gotten about it, in no particular order, let me give you some answers:**

**Firstly, in regards to Naruto's strength:**

**For those unfamiliar with Azur Lane, Naruto might seem overly strong and that might have you worried about power balance throughout the fic but I want to assure you that while Naruto is within the upper limits of his ship class (Battleship), he is not by any means some insane outlier. Within the game Battleships are known for having very high firepower and tankiness and he will embody those but he will still maintain the weakness of his class (low evasion, lower speed, weakness to armor piercing rounds, etc) so while he will hit like a truck he won't be this unstoppable machine that steamrolls everything either.**

**Yet. (dun dun dun! I jest… or do I?)**

**He, of course, will be a bit special since he is half Siren but that won't come into play too much until later and it's a situational kind of deal.**

**Secondly, will there be any pairings?:**

**I did not write this with any pairings in mind because I did plan to write all that much for it. If I decide to continue it then I'm not opposed to doing them though with so many options (both personal favorites and audience favorites that might get tricky but we'll see)**

**In keeping with that train of thought, no neither Ayanami nor Takao and Atago are anything more than new found friends at this moment. Naruto's compliments are born out of instructions though over time that could very well change and blossom into genuine affection but that's for later.**

**Character Descriptions:**

**So something I realized very early on is that it is impossible for me to deeply describe every ship girl that appears (there are well over 300 uniquely designed ships not including skins) so I have kind of copped out here. Thankfully all the characters are very easy to look up and I will continue to post lists of characters who appear at the end of chapters for those who really want a clear picture. I will also likely be posting links that will direct you to the faction pages so you can see all the ships. That'll be on my profile page.**

**Sorry for this inconvenience but it's either this or introduce like 2 ships per chapter maximum and that'll take forever! On the upside the art for this series is really good so at least you'll see some interesting designs!**

**Story:**

**So as I've mentioned Azur Lane's story is kind of a mess and I'm not sure anyone really knows where it's going or what it even really is barring Humanity Vs. The Sirens. Because of this, I can't really tell the "Story" of AL. So I will be going kind of half and half, using what I can piece together for the main action bits and creating the rest on my own. I will be upfront and say this story will have action elements but it will majoritively be Naruto meeting and interacting with the characters of AL and bonding with them. There will be other stories told using the in-game events but again telling a story with little to no source material is kind of a toss-up.**

**That's all for now, I will say that going forward Naruto will feature a bit more prominently now that his existence is known so I don't have to keep him in the corner until he's needed. Of course, he will meet all the factions at some point but I thought it was fitting to start off with the Sakura Empire given his background. Also as a note, if you've sent me PMs and I haven't responded yet I apologize I have so many backed up and it's been a pain getting to them. I will hopefully get through most of them tomorrow so feel free to PM me about this chapter or story and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! **

**Thank you all for reading!**

**List of AL Characters in this chapter:**

**Akagi**

**Ayanami**

**Fubuki**

**Hiryuu**

**Kisaragi**

**Mutsuki**

**Shigure **

**Souryruu**

**Uzuki **

**Yukikaze**

**Yuudachi **


	3. Chasing Fox Tails

_**-Last Chapter-**_

_"I can smell you, Commander!~"_

_"Speak of the devil and she might appear." Takao hissed already moving to intercept the coming storm lest the entire dorm be burnt to the ground, while Atago followed suit making a B-line towards Naruto who was staring at the door with confusion wondering why many of the other Sakura ships were suddenly taking cover._

_***Bang!***_

_"Ahahaha... there you are Commander..." Nine long bushy tails swayed hypnotically behind their owner as one of the unquestioned leaders of the Sakura Empire stepped elegantly into the room, narrowed ruby eyes scanning the assembled group of ships with disdain as she located the object of her affection trying vainly to hide behind the podium. Much to the amusement of the less worried girls who merely sighed at the somewhat common routine._

_"So much trash in my sight..."_

_Columns of fire began to burn around the new arrival during the once pleasant atmosphere into a localized heatwave, frightening the younger ships who scrambled to make as much distance as possible from the blaze, while the older ships did their best to remain calm despite the oppressive aura leaking of the newly arrived carrier._

_"Do not worry Commander..." A psychotic grin split her porcelain features._

_"Your dearest Akagi will clean it all up!"_

_**~Present~**_

"Akagi-san please stop!" Takao barked, reluctantly placing herself directly in the path of the currently twitching carrier who paused momentarily seeing one of her fellow seniors in her path. The flames of her passion and rage subsiding slightly as she took hold of her emotions for the moment to converse with one of the few girls who weren't... entirely worthless.

"Takao..." Akagi's tone was as pleasant as ever even given the circumstances as she eyed the defiant Heavy Cruiser standing before her. "I must ask that you to step aside, there are vermin to be dealt with." Akagi chuckled bringing a gloved hand to her mouth to hide her less than friendly smile. "You need not get involved... unless you wish to join them?"

The faint silhouette of planes began to take shape above the pair, circling overhead like birds of prey just waiting for the right opening to attack.

Takao frowned but did not make a move, she knew that to show weakness in front of this carrier when she was in one of her 'moods' was paramount to suicide. She maintained a calm expression even in the face of the sweltering heat of Akagi's flames honey gold eyes staring unflinchingly into rich crimson.

"I fail to see how crippling our fleet will benefit the commander." She countered trying to play to the kitsunes... "slightly" unhealthy obsession with their commanding officer. "No doubt that would cause her great amounts of unneeded stress and that wouldn't win you any favor." She rationalized forcing Akagi to pause and consider the argument. Her sneering expression replaced by a frown as she saw was forced to see the logic in Takao's rebuttal. As much as she despised these parasites breathing the same air as her beloved commander, she could not bring herself to even think of burdening her love in such a way.

Even if all the Commander needed was her.

"Ahahaha... Very well." The fires died out and Akagi's expression returned to her imposing but at the very least not murderous appearance. "I suppose you have a point."

Takao smiled and offered a small bow in a show of respect and thanks.

"However..." Akagi continued making her way to the podium brushing past the cruiser like she wasn't even there. "I am now curious as to why all of you are assembled but yet I was not called?" Akagi stalked her way to the front like a predator on the hunt despite her light steps.

Mirai couldn't help but sweat heavily as Akagi easily invaded her personal space with the sweetest of smiles while locking her arm between the valley of her generous bust. "You weren't avoiding Akagi-chan... were you, _Commander_?" She whispered leaning down to blow softly into Mirai's ear, a gesture that sent shivers down her spine as she was reminded of Akagi's extreme willingness to get... _physical_.

The innocent eyes of watching children be damned.

"Of course not." She hurriedly denied hastily while trying and failing to remove her arm from the iron grip of the still smiling female. "You were just not available when the meeting was called." She reassured praying to whatever god would listen to her silent pleas that she would make it out of here without incident.

Akagi stared deeply at her Commander for a few moments before seemingly accepting the reasoning allowing her grip to slack just slightly. She still had no plans of actually letting go. Not in front of all these hussies anyway.

"What was the nature of this meeting, Commander?" She questioned innocently, wondering what could be so important that such a large meeting could be allowed to take place without _her_. "You aren't perhaps... getting **married **are you?"

The oppressive aura returned with a vengeance as Akagi forced out those words and she had to hold back a shout of pain as the kitsune's grip grew just a smidge too tight for liking.

"No! No, no!" Mirai shook her head dispelling any rumors of that to placate the irate fox. "I was just introducing the newest member of the Sakura Empire." She admitted causing Akagi's eyes to widen momentarily before instantly narrowing in annoyance.

"Yet _another _obstacle... Commander where is this girl? Akagi wishes to 'speak' with her!" Akagi hissed leaving no illusion about what "speaking" would entail if she got her way. More than likely something that would mentally scar the youngsters for years to come.

"Soft..."

Akagi would deny under pain of death the yelp that escaped her as something took hold of her precious tails, she would then kill anyone who claimed, in that moment, that she was anything other than completely composed.

"Who dares!" She growled.

Let it be known that Akagi was incredibly vain. Her tails along with her beauty and her strength were her pride and _no one, _other than her dear sister and her beloved Commander, of course~, could touch her unprompted in such a manner!

Turning on her heel with fury in her eyes and every intention of turning the offender to ashes at the heel of her shoe, she rounded on the soon to be stain upon the earth.

And was met with the pouting face of... a child?

Off to the side, Atago panted in exhaustion at having tried and failed to keep the blond from approaching the somewhat unstable woman. She'd been given a front-row seat to what could only be described as the power of "love at first sight", the small battleship having been unnaturally transfixed by the force of nature that was Akagi's unrestrained affections and refusing to allow her to hold him.

Akagi blinked owlishly, the flames of her anger put out like a match in a hurricane. Her confusion growing when, instead of cowering in fear said child merely tried to grab hold of her tails again, completely brushing off her malice as if it was a minor inconvenience at worst.

"Come back..." He huffed and tried again, prompting her to turn slightly causing him to miss again.

Onlookers could only watch in disbelief as a game of cat and mouse began between the two, Akagi turning in circles on the spot while Naruto chased after her with a dogged determination. The sight was made even more comical by Akagi's utterly baffled facial expression, her body working on auto-pilot to protect her pride but making it very apparent that the carrier was not at all mentally processing what she was seeing.

"Commander... what is this?" The genuine bewilderment present in Akagi's tone made Miria desperately wish she had something to record with. "Commander what is this?!" She repeated urgently, having begun walking away in circles trying her hardest to avoid being caught by the grabby hands of this unknown child, her long strides and panicked tone causing a few of the younger ships to laugh among themselves as they watch the normally fearless ship flee from the little warship.

"Fufufu, to think little Naru-chan could outshine even Akagi..." Atago chuckled into her gloved hand as she watched the almost cartoon-like action taking place in front of her unable to help but laugh along as Akagi grew increasingly more desperate to avoid being touched and Naruto more determined to catch her. "I'm almost jealous." She laughed.

"He is certainly full of surprises." Takao agreed watching the ongoing events with a mixture of disbelief and a small amount of amusement. The First Division Carrier was infamous among all of the factions for her terrifying obsession, but at the moment she failed to see the woman that could inspire such fear within the hearts of her foes and allies alike as anything other than a source of entertainment.

"Akagi just pick him up." Mirai snorted enjoying the scene with the rest of her fleet. It was a more than a bit cathartic to see someone manage to put the pushy ship girl off her game, a bit of payback for all the times she'd been left to fend her off alone. "He doesn't seem interested in stopping anytime soon."

Hearing the command of her beloved she unconsciously did as she was told, turning on a dime and scooping up the blond child by his side and holding him out as far away from her as possible. With her tails no longer in danger, it seemed her mind managed to reboot and for the first time, she was truly seeing the boy in front of her clearly.

Bright blue eyes sparkled with a fondness that left her taken aback, despite his blank face his emotions were very clear in those ocean blue pools of his. She saw no fear in him as he looked back at her, though she supposed that wasn't surprising given the events of the past few minutes. A faint cough escaped her as she realized how she must have looked and bemoaned the rumors that would no doubt spread from this little incident.

Her eyes moved to the three little whisker marks that decorated his cheeks, an odd trait even among the Sakura Empire. She couldn't recall a single ship off the top of her head who shared such distinct markings and she quietly noted that given his wide eyes he looked remarkably similar to a baby fox...

_Doki..._

He was soft, almost delicate she observed given that since she was holding him by the arms she could feel his skin against her own. His clothing, however, gave her pause. The distinct sickly yellow glow of his attire brought back memories of a time she'd rather forget but the quiet fear that often came with them was not present leaving her somewhat conflicted.

While Akagi grappled with her own thoughts and feelings, Naruto took the time to simply enjoy her presence, even if his ability to do so was slightly hindered by the distance she placed between them.

It was hard to describe why he was so fascinated with the fox like woman, he didn't really understand it but then again there were a lot of things he didn't fully understand about the world around him and himself. However, she felt familiar to him... there were some things off, like a picture that just didn't feel quite right, the broad strokes were the same but the little details were just a bit... wrong.

**"Brat! Don't you dare..."**

He winced as thunderous words echoed violently through his ears, the guttural tone searing itself into the folds of his mind like a flash of lightning before fading just as quickly as they came. He knew them, his stomached warmed at the sound of them... but at the same time, he didn't? A name leaped to the tip of his tongue but his mouth refused to make the words, a relic of something from before but before what he could not say. What could come before the haze that he'd been birthed from?

"Child, speak your name."

Her voice broke him from his contemplation, banishing those thoughts back to depths from which they came. Not gone but buried for the time being.

"Naruto." He answered before adding his newly christened title. "First Battleship of the Hybrid class." He introduced waving his hand in greeting as best he could while being held like some kind of animal.

"I see..." Akagi muttered giving her commander a sideways glance that assured the woman they would be having a long conversation about this later. "And would you care to explain what prompted you touched my tails?" She positioned it as a question but it was very clearly a demand.

He tilted his head and looked at her curiously, his ever-present sleepy expression combined with the adoration in his gaze assault her with levels of adorable she wasn't sure she was mentally prepared for.

_Doki..._

"Ano... they looked so soft and pretty..." He answered simply, turning his attention to the flowing tails behind her with unashamed desire. "You must take really good care of them..." He praised giving her a slight but genuine smile as he did so.

Akagi was silent for a few moments as she weighed up his answer, the two of them having attracted every pair of eyes in the room by this point.

Then abruptly, almost worryingly so, Akagi smiled.

"Ahahaha... Commander." Akagi turned to the woman who was watching the duo with slight concern. She didn't like the look on her face at all. "Excuse me my love, but I will be taking my leave now." Akagi didn't wait for a response and merely turned tail and walked off, the only sound echoing through the silence being the click of her heels upon the wooden flooring as she made her way out.

With Naruto's confused but still delighted form tucked securely within her arms.

...

"Should... should we be worried?" Takao asked quietly looking towards her leader who seemed to have long since given up resting haphazardly against the podium with a defeated look of resignation. "You don't think she's going to hurt him, do you?"

"Probably not... I think?." It was never easy to tell what was going through Akagi's head. Thankfully despite her less than pleasant nature, Akagi had never seriously injured or even harmed any members of her fleet so she was at least willing to give her the chance to bond with their newest ally.

She just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite her in the ass later.

_..._

"Ano... where are we going?"

Naruto looked up from his positioned nestled in the arms of the busty carrier, the two of them making their way through the many hallways littering the Sakura dorms as Akagi hummed softly to herself, her gaze locked straight ahead though she did occasionally send small glances towards the blond in her arms. Despite no longer being in the company of the Commander or either of the cruiser sisters, he felt no real fear at being taken away from them. Not sensing any hostile intent from his current guide he was content to allow himself to be carried off.

"Where else but my room." She hummed, quietly running her fingers through his hair with a soft sight of content at the warmth of his form pressed against her own. "It would not due to have you wandering among the riff-raff... no, you'll be much better off with me." She supplied a hint of _something _in her tone but what that was he hadn't the faintest clue.

"Oh... are the others bad?" He asked, while he hadn't spent a lot of time with the others he didn't think there was anything particularly wrong with them.

"Beware of them, they are leeches." Akagi was swift to share her views on the other members of the Sakura Empire. "If you allow your eyes to drift for even the slightest moment they will latch onto that which belongs to you like filthy scavengers." She instructed, an annoyed scowl gracing her features as she spoke her thoughts aloud.

"I see." He wasn't sure if he agreed with that assessment but he wouldn't say anything against her either, she was his senior so he would defer to her judgment. "Is there anyone here you do like then?" He asked curiously.

"Of course, other than my darling Commander I have my sister." She revealed with a smile, of all the other... vermin, that called this port home only her sister shared the right to even look at _her _Commander. Of course, there was another but until they were reunited she would not speak of her so openly.

"You have a sister too?" It seems the Sakura Empire was full of sister duos.

"Hai, she's almost as beautiful as me." She confirmed while, reluctantly, setting the boy back onto the ground to open up the door to her shared room. "In fact, you'll be meeting her in a few moments so make sure you are presentable." She informed him missing his look of excitement at the idea of more fluffy tails to squeeze. Let it be known he was rather simple in hits wants.

Akagi's sister… He wondered if she was just like her?

With a soft click of her key, Akagi pulled back her door, allowing the wooden frame to slide seamlessly to the side before grabbing hold of his hand leading him into the rather spacious abode.

It was surprisingly clean not that he through it would be messy or anything but he couldn't find even the smallest hint of dust or disorder pervaded the room, leaving it almost unnaturally tidy. Decorated with pictures and small bonsai trees it almost seemed to embody the ideals of minimalist style while still making room for the culture of the Empire. There was a small TV off to the side and few floor pillows next to a small table that likely sat the room inhabitants on lazy days.

In the far corner, he spotted two moderately sized beds sporting red and blue coverings respectively though the red one seemed to have what appeared to be plushies set out along its edge.

He idly wondered who designed one of the Commander...and if he could get one for himself.

"Sister, welcome back-..."

"Akagi, Where did you get that child?"

A cold yet seemingly puzzled voice off to the left captured the pair's attention as a new figure stepping out from what he assumed to be a bathroom built into the side of the room. Narrowed icy blue eyes fixed heavily upon pair looking between the two confusion and slight suspicion.

"Pretty..." He paid little attention to the look being sent his way in favor of drinking in the sight of arguably the most beautiful ship he'd met during his short time around the base.

"Ahahaha, he's a gift from the Commander~" Akagi sang in her usual tone, slipping off her shoes as she made her way deeper into their shared living space. "He was so utterly captivated by my beauty that it was only fair that I spirit him away for a little while." She mused not at all bothering to hide the flush on her cheeks as she hugged the youth close to her leg.

Perhaps she was a _tad_ bit smitten but she didn't care.

"Isn't he just precious? Soften those harsh eyes of your Kaga and look for yourself." She hummed pushing the blond towards her sister with a slight smile allowing the two unrestricted access to inspect one another.

Naruto looked upon the newly revealed Kaga with wonder, the same fondness he felt for Akagi making itself present in the presence of her seemingly younger sister.

Kaga was a modestly tall ship, just a tad shorter than Akagi but not enough to matter in any way, in terms of looks though there was no mistaking the two. Whereas Akagi possessed long flowing brown hair and brown tails, Kaga veered in the complete opposite direction. Short hair in the color of freshly fallen winter snow graced her head falling just short of her shoulders. Her kitsune like ears were unmistakable, twitching softly atop her head while behind her, nine puffy white tails swayed to and fro hypnotically reminding him of the clouds on a clear summer day.

Unlike her sister who seemed to be eternally smiling, even if that smile was laced with malic at times, Kaga seemed to be a much more serious woman. Cold analytical blue eyes swept over him that might have paralyzed a lesser person with ease, not helped by the slight frown she seemed to carry though that might have just been reserved for him. She cleared favored the color blue just as Akagi favored red seeing as her clothing with a mix of white and blues that only enhanced her beauty.

"He looks like a Siren."

There wasn't hate in her observation but there was a level of unease in her voice as she described the most obvious traits of the youth in front of her. Her past with the Siren's was just as spotty as her sisters and it weighed on her just as much if not more so at times. How willing she'd been to sink her fellow soldiers in their name... to see him now brought back unpleasant memories.

"Half Siren." He admitted still somewhat taken by her regardless of the frost lacing her words, a small blush gracing his whiskered cheeks. "The Commander says I was born to help better understand the Sirens in hopes of aiding humanity in pushing them back." He informed quietly.

Kaga's eyes widened at that, the pieces falling into place. That would explain the heavy workload over the past few months as well as the Commander's abrupt willingness to investigate reports of Siren activity despite the dangers.

All in aid of her pet project.

"How reckless..." Kaga found the idea more uncomfortable than she cared to admit and a part of her urged her to act, to remove this threat before it grew to infect all that they had built, killing them from within. They'd seen first hand that nothing good came out of tinkering powers from those monsters be it given willingly or taken by force.

It would be easy, almost criminally so, to burn him where he stood...

"Very well." She held herself back, not out of some sentimentality due to his appearance, child or not the reality was there were _made _for war regardless of their size. No, she merely understood that if her sister had not come to the same conclusion as she had then attacking him would only serve to put them at odds. For all of her sister's quirks, Kaga still loved her all the same and would not start an unnecessary conflict if it could be avoided.

"Wonderful!" Akagi smiled and clapped before cocooning the boy in her arms and sitting him down in her lap. "Now come in and join us, I'm feeling particularly festive this evening~"

Kaga sighed but nodded nonetheless, making her way over to the pair but keeping herself at just enough of a distance to watch over their "house guest".

She was not as easily swayed as her sister.

_..._

"We should have picked him up hours ago!" Takao fretted as she made her way through the Sakura dorms a concerned frown marring her delicate features as her boots clacked harshly against the wooden flooring. "I should have followed them..."

Behind her, Mirai and Atago exchanged bemused glances at the worried cruiser's behavior. It was rare to see the ever diligent Takao in such a frayed state but it was also a testament to how much she'd come to care for the little battleship.

"I'm sure Naru-chan is fine." Atago tried to reassure her sister lest she worries herself into an early grave. "If he wasn't he likely would have fired off a warning shot that we would have heard." She rationalized picking up the pace to walk beside her placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder in hopes of reassuring the panicked cruiser.

"What if he didn't get the chance? What if she just left him somewhere?"

"She isn't _that _bad." Mirai spoke up, coming to the defense of the slightly eccentric and _very_ possessive carrier. Sure Akagi could be a bit much but she wasn't evil or needlessly cruel... so long as it didn't involve her anyway. "You're overreacting." She noted taking stock of Takao's mother hen like behavior

"Then where is he?" She fired back rounding the corner that led to the last place they'd thought to check. "What could she possibly have done with him that would keep them out for so long."

"...Fair point, but still." She did have to concede it was odd for no one to have seen the IJN Carrier or Naruto since the meeting but that wasn't a sign that she'd done anything wrong.

"Exactly." Arriving at their destination Takao politely but firmly rapped her knuckles against the wooden door belonging to their quarry, the hollow knocking booming in her ears as she waited anxiously for some kind of response.

Moments passed of utter silence that seemed to go on for hours before finally, just as she went to knock again, the click of locks being turned graced them and with a rumble, the sliding paper door squeaked open revealing a less than amused Akagi standing in the doorway, though her expression brightened considerably seeing the Commander standing in the back hiding slightly behind Atago.

"Hello, Commander~" She purred sending the woman a lustful glance before quickly shifting back to annoyance as the sight of Takao standing at her door and Atago smiling cheerful in the back. "Hello, vermin." She greeted half-heartedly. "What brings you here?" She questioned curiously while still denying them access to the rest of the room.

"We are here to pick up Naruto." Takao answered somewhat forcefully getting straight to the point in her usual fashion. "If you would please bring him out so that we can get him situated in a room of his own we would appreciate it." She asked maintaining her usual politeness but there was an undertone of urgency to her request that was easy to pick up on for anyone looking for it.

"Ahh, I see." Akagi thought on it for a moment before offering them a small knowing smile. "However, I regret to inform you that won't be necessary." She answered causing Takao's brow to twitch at the casual dismissal of her request.

"And why would that be?" Atago interjected, calmly scooting her sister out of the way lest she lose her composure and try to force her way into the sectioned off room. "It is standard procedure for all girls, or in his case boys, to have their own living space unless special circumstances prohibit it or an exception is made." She reminded, while sister ships of the same class often did share a space, most did in fact have their own rooms they could use if they wished and Naruto was no exception.

They just needed to find one for him first.

"He does not want to leave, therefor he shall stay here." Akagi laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Your concern is admirable but unneeded, he will be taken care of." She assured not at all bothered by the suspicious looks being sent her way, after all, why should she concern herself with desires of ants?

"Akagi." Mirai stepped forward and almost immediately the IJN carrier straightened up noting the seriousness in the normally relaxed woman's voice. "I would like to see Naruto, now if you'd please." It was easy to forget with her easy going nature that she was still the one in charge of this base and her word was law here. Mirai liked to offer her girls privacy, as far as she was concerned they were people and deserved that much.

However, she would step in when needed.

For a moment Akagi hesitated, biting her lower lip in frustration at the silent command before finally nodding. "Very well, but only you." Akagi stipulated sending less than friendly glances at her entourage. "These two must wait outside." She demanded.

"Deal. Takao, Atago please wait here for a moment." She instructed and the two nodded reluctantly, small frowns gracing their faces as they did so. They weren't particularly worried about _Akagi _of all people harming their Commander, but her suspicious actions did set them more than a bit on edge and if anything only made them more curious to find their young charge.

Once she was sure they would not follow Akagi stepped slightly to the side, parting the makeshift wall she'd constructed with her tails to allow Mirai inside before quickly shutting the door behind her.

...

A few minutes later and Mirai stepped out, an unreadable expression grafted onto her face while Akagi once more took her place at the door again blocking all access to the room with her extra appendages.

Takao and Atago looked expectantly at their Commander who merely sighed and turned back to face the waiting Aircraft Carrier.

"Thank you for allowing me to check and apologies for intruding upon you at this hour." She said offering a slight bow, an apology Akagi more than happily accepted. "He can stay for tonight but he's still getting his own room." She said.

"Tsk. As you wish Commander." Akagi nodded though she was clearly displeased. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, enjoy the rest of your evening." She then turned and beckoned Takao and Atago to follow her while Akagi watched the trio disappear around the corner before finally closing her door for the night.

_..._

"Commander, is he okay?" Atago asked after a while of walking in silence, she hadn't said anything since they'd left and now she was beginning to worry.

"He is fine, we will see him bright and early tomorrow." She assured not slowing her pace in the slightest as they made their way back to the dorm entrance. "Please trust me." She added knowing that the pair were likely still going to worry regardless.

The duo looked at one another silently before nodding. "As you say, Commander."

"Thank you." She nodded but kept her face hidden from view. After all, it wouldn't do to have them catch the mad grin upon her face at this moment.

_**-With Akagi and Kaga-**_

"Have they left?"

Akagi nodded and made her way back over to her seat in front of the television. "They just rounded the corner, be thankful our Commander is so understanding or that cold facade of yours might have been in some serious trouble, oh sister mine." She giggled while sending an amused glance in her sister's direction.

Kaga blushed and hung her head, her ears drooping at her sister's teasing but knowing that she spoke the truth. She was a proud carrier, a seasoned veteran of the Sakura Empire! Yet here she was now…

How was she to know he'd be so persistent in his desires?

Looking down she eyed the source of her current embarrassment with a mixture of slight affection and annoyance.

A sleeping Naruto was currently nestled into her lap snoozing away without a care in the world. His head resting softly on one of her tails like a makeshift pillow while the others held him tightly in a blanket of fur keeping him warm. Her hand ran unconsciously through his hair and despite her earlier posturing, she had to fight the urge to draw him in closer and rub at his chubby cheeks as he snuggled deeper into her embrace.

Mentally she cursed this softer side of herself and resolved to see something done about it… eventually.

"Ahahaha, If you were anyone else I don't know what I'd do." Akagi laughed, torn between burning jealousy and unbidden delight at the sight before her, it was rare to see her sister like this. Her seemingly ice cold exterior and ruthlessness on the battlefield made others cautious when approaching her even among their own faction, she'd never say it aloud but it probably brought Kaga a silent joy to have someone other than herself so eager to interact with her.

She sighed wistfully at the missed opportunity but the love she had for her sister proved stronger than the envy she felt so she was content to watch as a spectator... for now anyway.

Next time he was sleeping in _her _lap though.

* * *

_**AN. Chapter complete!**_

**Three chapters in and I've technically reached the end of my initial plans for this fic, then again with the reception it seems I'm not actually done with it so I suppose that doesn't matter much anymore haha. I do want to say thank you to everyone who's been reading along so far and enjoying it.**

**So, as always, I'd like to use the end of the chapter to share my thoughts on the story and answer questions which are what I'll actually start off with.**

**The first question/concern I want to address is one that in hindsight I should have talked about in the last chapter but I didn't really think of until is was pointed out to me. The concern being, that as of now in the story Naruto feels less like himself and more like an OC character.**

**I want to address this because I can see why this idea could spring to mind and if one person feels that way others probably do or will as well so I want to talk about it. Now, from the beginning I made it clear that this story isn't entirely mine, many of the story design choices are not ones decided by me and my job is mostly to bring those ideas to life. Naruto being manifested as a child and him being a battleship were both not my first choice but the story wasn't for me and it still sort of isn't, if that makes sense. Essentially, I have to build a blank slate into a familiar character and my writing style doesn't really favor doing that quickly but rather over time.**

**I also want to make it apparent that the first three chapters are all of the same day, starting from the early morning into the first night. Naruto has been alive in this world for less than 24 hours so naturally, we haven't seen a lot of his character or fleshed out his story. There are hints of a connection between this Naruto and the one everyone is more familiar with, his fondness for the twin foxes, small fragments of memory that skitter by and eventually will be explained. As he grows both mentally and through experience we will see him take a more defined shape so I just ask that people be a bit patient with me, having to split the story between introducing and interacting with so many characters as well as fleshing Naruto out is going to take some time but I hope that it'll prove worth the wait.**

**There is also the idea of retrofitting to keep in mind, a process that can drastically change/evolve characters both physically and potentially mentally as well. Anyway, I just wanted to bring this up because I can see where people are coming from but since only I am privy to the full plan it's easier for me to see where things will go but please have some faith.**

**Moving on!**

**There aren't any other major questions other than more interest in any possible pairings which I still have to sort for the reasons I explained last time. Seeing as we still have the other three major factions to meet I don't think pairings will become a huge point until Naruto's met all the major players, I like the Sakura Empire but some of my favorite girls are from the other factions so I want to wait for a bit.**

**Onto story stuff:**

**So, for one I do plan to have Naruto sortie (go on a mission) next chapter. I think we've had our fill of cute and I need to actually make use of all that power somehow and also lean into his perspective more, it's not going to be a major event but it'll give more insight to how he'll fight and some idea of his skills (perhaps). Currently just deciding who he'll sortie with, only Sakura ships for now but in future he'll be with the others as well. Eventually, he'll of course meet other Sirens and we'll see how that goes assuming interest in this story keeps up until then.**

**We met Akagi and Kaga which is always fun and they've taken a real shine to him. Akagi more openly than Kaga perhaps but given their natures that isn't very surprising, their relationship with him at least for the **_**imminent **_**future is going to be more like fussy, overprotective siblings (Though give Akagi's actions towards Kaga even that might be a bit much). What this relationship could change into though I can't say, it'll depend on how things progress and where Naruto goes character wise.**

**Also as a note, The Commander is not married to anyone in this story as of present and she is not having relations with anyone, in case people mistake Akagi's actions as that of a secret lover or something. Just to be clear haha.**

**Anyway, I think that wraps up everything, I hope you enjoyed! Also, I have a quick question I'd like your opinion on. What faction should Naruto meet next? I was thinking the Royal Navy but I'm curious if there is one you'd specifically like want to see next and why.**

**The Four Major Factions are:**

**Iron Blood (The Germans) (KMS)**

**Royal Navy (The English) (HMS)**

**Sakura Empire (Japanese) (IJN) (Naruto's home faction in this fic)**

**Eagle Union (The Americans) (USS)**

**So let me know if you want!**

**AL Ships introduced:**

**Kaga (Aircraft Carrier Ver.)**


	4. His First Sortie

_**-Last Chapter-**_

_Kaga blushed and hung her head, her ears drooping at her sister's teasing but knowing that she spoke the truth. She was a proud carrier, a seasoned veteran of the Sakura Empire! Yet here she was now…_

_How was she to know he'd be so persistent in his desires?_

_Looking down she eyed the source of her current embarrassment with a mixture of slight affection and annoyance._

_A sleeping Naruto was currently nestled into her lap snoozing away without a care in the world. His head resting softly on one of her tails like a makeshift pillow while the others held him tightly in a blanket of fur keeping him warm. Her hand ran unconsciously through his hair and despite her earlier posturing, she had to fight the urge to draw him in closer and rub at his chubby cheeks as he snuggled deeper into her embrace._

_Mentally she cursed this softer side of herself and resolved to see something done about it… eventually._

_**~Present~**_

"Did you remember to grab your lunch?"

"Hai."

"What about cleaning your guns? Did you make sure to inspect them properly?"

"Hai."

"And you are sure you have enough ammo? It never hurts to bring a little more."

"Hai."

"What about..."

Kaga watched with quiet exasperation as her sister fussed over the newest addition to their not so little fleet like he was a newborn babe, running down a seemingly endless checklist while he nodded along absentmindedly. By her side, Takao, Atago, and the Commander could only look on in a mixture of thinly veiled amusement as the blond was carried to and fro by the worried aircraft carrier, his blank face nestled snugly between the overly worried kitsune's bust muffling his voice somewhat.

"Sister please... it is just a simple sortie." Kaga interrupted trying her best not to let her embarrassment at her sister's actions affect her but that was much easier said than done given their giggling audience. "There is no need for such... intense preparation." She sighed approaching her sister with the firm intent of prying the boy out of her death grip.

Akagi was having none of that however and merely swatted her reaching hands away with her tails. "How can I just send him out like that? The dangers of the seas could rear their ugly heads at a moment's notice or worse..." An oppressive aura began to emanate from her huddled form. "Some foreign _skank _could lay her filthy fingers on him while he's out of my sight." She muttered darkly drawing sweat drops from the assembled group at her less than practical concerns.

"Sister..." Kaga rubbed the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "He'll be fine."

"Does this look like the face of someone who will be fine?!" Akagi wailed dramatically and held the blond out like a doll, his feet dangling limply from his elevated position as he was thrust towards them.

"Hi..." He waved lazily unbothered by his current predicament, his usual blank expression serving only to undermine Akagi's worries seeing as the boy didn't seem particularly concerned about his upcoming mission in the slightest.

"See!" Akagi quickly pulled him back to her chest and ran her fingers through his hair all the while uttering soft reassurances of protection so long as he stayed by her side forever. It would have been somewhat endearing if not for the hastily added threats of violence towards others that were sprinkled within.

"I apologize, Commander. I did not foresee this outcome." Kaga bowed towards her leader who merely waved her off with a half-smile, she actually had expected this which is why they were here so early.

It had been a little over a week since Naruto had been introduced to the Sakura fleet to overall positive reception. There were still a few who remained cautious in his presence but even they were coming around to the charming battleship with time. Of course, no one had responded quite as positively as their resident foxes who had taken over as the blond's guardians/sister figures and he was seldom seen without at least one of them accompanying him at all times.

Much to the misfortune of his fellow ships who had to endure either Akagi's smoldering hate-filled gaze or Kaga frigid glares upon coming within ten feet of the seemingly unaware boy who was more than happy to chat with all that crossed his path. It made for quite a spectacle.

"It's fine." She reassured before approaching the fussing carrier. "Akagi I promise you that he will be perfectly safe on this mission and I've assigned him an experienced supervisor just in case." She swore, placing a firm but kind hand on the fox woman's shoulder.

Akagi huffed for a while longer, giving the boy in her arms a final squeeze before reluctantly allowing him back onto the ground whereupon he immediately waddled over to Kaga's side much to her annoyance.

"Very well." She ground out while recollecting herself. "I will hold you to that promise." She then turned to the boy who had by this point been led away by Kaga by Atago who'd offered the boy some sweets.

"Naruto." She called catching the boy's attention who perked up at his name being called and walked back over to her. She kneeled and stroked his whiskers lovingly, a soft hum escaping his pouty lips as she did so, sending a jolt of something... sinful down her spine.

"Be safe." She instructed softly before giving him one last hug.

"Hai, I will be careful." He nodded returning the embrace his arms wrapping tightly around his newfound sister figure in an effort to reassure her.

"Good." She released him and sent him off with a soft push towards her sister, sending her a knowing look in the process. Her sister couldn't hide her feelings from her even if she tried.

Kaga sighed but gestured for the boy to come to her which he did happily, bushing up gently against her leg knowing she wasn't one for open displays of affection.

"You are not weak so I have no concerns about your safety." She muttered placing a hand upon his head as a sign of confidence in his ability. "You remember what to do when you see an enemy?" She questioned earning a nod from him.

"Don't stop firing until not even ashes are left." He recited cheerfully, happy to have remembered her lessons. "If they get up then set the sea on fire for good measure." He finished ignoring the concerned looks sent his way by everyone but Akagi who was nodding proudly off to the side.

"Good boy." She praised fondly and graced him with a small smirk and a brief but affectionate hug before passing him off to Takao who was now questioning if allowing him near the twin carriers was actually a wise course of action on their part.

"Right... let's get going." Mirai sighed turning on her heel before she heard something else that she really didn't need to know about right now.

_..._

"This will be a simple mission, I don't expect you'll run into much trouble if any but as always I expect you to keep on your toes out there." She explained looking over the assembled girls, plus boy, that she had assigned to the task. "We've heard rumblings of hostiles pushing upon some of our secondary trade routes, nothing major but we should keep an eye out in case this is the set up to cut off our main supply lines later on."

"Leave it to us, Commander~" Nachi smirked, having been appointed as head of this operation it naturally fell to her to display her confidence to her underlings. "This will be so easy I won't even need to break a sweat." She laughed in her usual haughty but lax still manner.

Mirai rolled her eyes internally at the Heavy Cruisers penchant for trying to do things effortlessly but knew that she could rely on her to keep everything moving smoothly, for all of Nachi's bluster and bravado she was, in fact, rather capable.

By Nachi's side, Ayanami and Naruto nodded silently in agreement, they would not fail.

"Nachi," She turned to the cruiser in question. "This will be little Naruto's first mission so be sure to show him the ropes but don't be afraid to let him make his own decisions. He will be acting as both the flagship and the heavy artillery so make use of him if needed." She reminded.

Nachi nodded and patted the smaller boy at her side with a smirk. "Of course, I'll make sure he has no problems." She assured with a twinkle in her eye.

"I'll hold you to it, after all... I don't think I need to tell you what might happen should he come back in less than pristine condition?" She warned.

Nachi felt her blood run cold at the question, the enraged silhouettes of Akagi and Kaga hovered above the heavy cruiser like vengeful spirits, billowing walls of fire encircling around her...

"I will protect him with my life!" She promised quickly, her usually sun-kissed skin was now pale as a ghost as she nodded rapidly. No damage she could suffer could compare to whatever they would do to her!

Ayanami watched the proceedings with a sigh and sent a subtle look to the Commander that she would ensure that things went smoothly, nothing would get past her if she had her way. It may have helped that she'd begun taking a liking to him for his generally happy disposition and penchant for assisting around the base where he could.

Naruto smiled gently at the support of his seniors and resolved to do his best, no harm would come to them if he could help it.

"That's what I like to hear." Mirai nodded offering her subordinates a confident smile, her trust in them was absolute even if their individual... quirks, caused her more headaches than she'd like. "You three are dismissed, I expect to see you back in a few hours."

"Mkay/Hai/Yes Commander!"

_**-A Few Hours Later at Sea-**_

"I know I said this was going to be easy, but I didn't think it was going to be _this _easy." Nachi sighed frowning slightly at the lack of anything going on as they patrolled over the small slice of endless blue expanse. "Even a few pirates would be better than this..." She muttered trying vainly to disguise the disappointment she was feeling.

It had been two hours since they'd left the base and begun their scouting mission, two hours of near-absolute silence other than the call of seagulls and the crashing of waves. They had about another hour left of travel before they'd turn back to make their report which clearly didn't sit well with Nachi who'd begun to make her distaste for the silence known.

"Do not complain." Ayanami chided keeping her eyes out for any sign of danger. "Keep focused." She reminded as the trio made their way further out along their route, avoiding battle whenever possible was a positive in her mind.

"I-I'm not complaining!" Nachi denied furiously. "It's just an observation, thinking out loud for the newbie's sake." She rebutted hastily, sending a sideways glance towards the humming battleship on their flank. His usually blank stare absorbed by the gently rocking waves though she could tell he was still paying attention to his soundings since he was easily keeping pace with them while maintaining formation.

"Mhm." Ayanami didn't respond but it was clear she didn't exactly believe the scantily clad cruiser's answer. "Have you detected anything?" She asked shifting the conversation back towards their mission rather than their grievances.

"Disrespectful little..." Nachi grumbled but answered nonetheless. "Nothing out of the ordinary though I am picking up some familiar signals a few miles off." She noted having been temporarily equipped with a radar for this operation as most scouting fleets were.

"Friendlies?" Ayanami questioned.

"I believe so, probably another group on their way back from their own mission." She guessed, looking off in the direction she was picking up the signals from.

Naruto looked off into the distance curiously, he had still yet to meet any ships that were not from the Sakura Empire... he wondered what kind of people they were? Kaga had told him bits and pieces about some of the other factions to give him an idea since Akagi's renditions were... a bit less than accurate, but he still wanted to see for himself.

He would have to ask the Commander about leaving the dorms to explore soon.

"That's weird?..."

Nachi's confusion shook him from his thoughts as she suddenly veered off to the side, a noticeable frown on her face as she paused halting their advance. The sonar attached to her riggings spinning up in parallel with its user's concern.

"What's wrong?" He asked wondering why'd they suddenly stopped.

"I tried to send a message over to whoever's out there but something is jamming my comms." She relayed causing her charges to narrow their eyes in suspicion. "Their lines were just open a few seconds ago but I can't get through no matter how hard I try and the range on my radar seems to be fizzling out." She explained sending a sharp look towards the equipment in question

"Do you detect hostiles?" Ayanami questioned softly, but her fingers clenched around her sword regardless, giving away her true feelings on the sudden change in the situation.

"I'm not detecting much of anything other than static." She growled, cursing her fat mouth for seemingly jinxing what should have been a routine run. "Our path is clear but I don't like the idea of just leaving those girls behind on the hope of just a random equipment malfunction."

"Then should we investigate?" He questioned siding up next to his party.

"Under normal circumstances, I would say yes. However, the Commander gave _strict _orders to keep you under wraps until she was ready to introduce you to the others." Nachi groaned torn between following her orders and investigating a potential attack on their allies. "There isn't really a protocol for this."

"They could be in trouble..." He frowned softly, he may not have known them but if they were allies than didn't they have an obligation to help if they could?

"It is suspicious." Ayanami agreed, while equipment failures were not unheard of this felt too convenient.

"So you two want to defy orders and head over?" She asked giving them serious looks, it was one thing to consider it but there was no question the Commander would be less than pleased if her plans were disrupted.

"The Commander will understand." Ayanami assured, their commander was a kind person who valued their safety. She was confident between keeping a secret or possibly saving lives that she would gladly lay herself bare if need be.

"I don't want anyone hurt because of me." Naruto declared, a previously unseen resolve stirring within him, if he was born to help protect humanity then he couldn't afford to put others in harm's way. "We should help." He urged.

"You two..." She bit her lip and weighed her options, ultimately it was her choice in the end which meant what happened next was on her shoulders.

_Wonderful..._

_**-A Few Miles Off-**_

"Behind you!"

The sounds of cannon fire filled the air like the beat of war drums, drowning out the shouts and yelps of those caught within the storm, their words unheard under a hail of gunfire.

"To think we could be ambushed so easily!" A proud but clearly frustrated voice shouted out among the noise, her weapons trained on the mass of intimidating, black ships that now encircled them. "The nerve of these dogs!"

"There is nothing to be done about it now, Nelson." A calm but somehow equally vexed voice admonished. "Focus your ire towards clearing us a path out of this." They ordered.

Nelson scoffed but did as she was told, her twin mounted guns ripping through her opposition as quickly as she could fire them while at her sides her companions focused on keeping her afloat, taking out anything that strayed too close. Their teamwork being just enough to hold back the tide for the moment.

"Miss London, are you hurt?"

"Ah, no I am holding up for now." London assured, shaking her head while unloading another few shots from her pistol, the armor-piercing rounds digging into hulls of a few unlucky ships and leaving sizable holes in her targets if not sinking them outright. "How about you, Miss Belfast?" She questioned over the sounds of gunfire, ducking to avoid some rounds of retaliation.

Belfast sighed as she waltzed with her usual grace between rows of shells, her guns working overtime to keep any suicide boats as far away from Nelson as possible while hazy white smoke billowed out from the sides of her rigging offer them a bit of cover in this storm.

"I am fine, a bit tender in a few places but it will take more than this to put down a maid of the Royal Navy." She promised, siding up to the light cruiser as the pair worked in tandem to fend off the hoard. "I am, however, still unable to contact the base or any nearby sorting parties." She relayed with a frown figuring that their signals were being jammed.

"This is utterly ridiculous!" Nelson growled as more ships arrived to block their path in a seemingly endless sea of red and black. Ships corrupted and changed by the Siren's to serve as cannon fodder, only a step above trash in her eyes. They were easy enough to destroy but their strength lies in sheer numbers, not firepower and right now the three of them were severely outnumbered.

She cured their ability to seemingly appear from thin air and vanish without a trace, such a frightening power could make even the simplest of missions into hellish skirmishes. It didn't help that they'd already spent most of their munition reserves on their earlier sortie leaving them with little ammunition to fight with.

She maintained a steady stream of clearing rounds but her guns could only fire so fast... at this rate, she was going to be on empty long before they were in the clear!

_**BOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

The battle suddenly ground to a halt on both sides as a mighty explosion went off in the middle of the swarming fleet, churning the waters below in a violent shower of seawater, the air above became filled with dark clouds of thick smoke and the smell of burning metal as the ocean seemingly came alive in a field of fire cooking whatever strayed too close to the blast zone.

She watched as the swarm of cruisers began to split off no doubt trying to escape the range of such potent ammunition lest they end up in the same position as those unlucky enough to have been caught in the epicenter of the blast.

_**BOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

A second explosion nearly shook her to her core, her eyes catching sight of dark purple shells raining in beautiful arcs down upon the wall of opposition setting the sky alight in flashes of violent energy. The sea practically roiled as the supercharged shells plunged into the depths before exploding with equal force, large spouts of heated water rising where they landed and creating scalding jets of steam in their wake.

"Nelson!"

London's voice drew her attention away from the spectacle and she turned to face the light cruiser who was pointing in the direction of a newly created opening. A hole had opened up in all the confusion that was just large enough for them to pass through.

"Quickly! Now's our chance!" She shouted while dipping back into the cover Belfast had created to mask their escape. She didn't need to be told twice and she made her way forward into the smoke as fast as she could trailing just behind her two companions as they slowly but surely slipped past the now burning blockade who were far too occupied to even bother with them.

Even as her own guns fell silent the echoing rumble of shells being fired could be heard for what seemed like miles, the trashing waves and ever-thickening black smoke were a testament to the unforgiving nature of such conflict.

Finally, the trio reached the outer limits where they were quickly meet with their rescuers who were doing their part to help push back the siren fleet. Torpedo barrages cut through the water like knives while glowing armor-piercing rounds punched large holes into the dark hulls.

"Nachi? Ayanami?" Belfast looked between the two IJN fleet ships with surprise having not expected to see the odd duo before quietly composing herself and offering them a deep bow of gratitude. "I do not know why you are here but we offer our sincerest thanks for your assistance." She said flashing an elegant smile to express her thanks.

At her sides, both London and Nelson nodded as well, offering their own words of gratitude to the pair.

"It was nothing, all in a day's work really~" Nachi preened happily accepting the thanks and admiration of her fellow comrades while Ayanami merely gave the cruiser a blank look before addressing the Royal Navy girls. They hadn't been expecting to run into the head maid out on patrol but she supposed that was to expected with so many different fleets working in tandem.

"Are you all unharmed?" She asked surveying the small scrapes and burns that peppered their once pristine clothing. "Are you in need of major repairs?"

"Other than some wounded pride and a few bruises, we're fine." Nelson huffed her twin tails swaying as she shook her head and dusted herself off. "We hadn't expected such a large force to be waiting in ambush, we were under-equipped for this." She admitted turning back to face the now retreating attackers.

Even now she could see intense eruptions of light blasting their way through the now fleeing armada, where once a seemingly endless blockade stood... was now only a few handfuls of damaged wrecks or smoldering remains.

She could only wonder at the kind of ship capable of bringing such a force to their heels...

...

Bored blue eyes watched impassively as the skies above were filled with soot and smoke, the hum of his cannon's exhaust ports acting as audible evidence to his handiwork as he wadded through the battlefield seemingly without a care. With his diminutive form encased under layers of thick gleaming armor and rows upon rows of heavy weaponry, he spared little thought to defense and simply burned through his enemies like insects.

"Turn to ash..."

His mobile armory responded to his will and the air around him was swiftly filled once more with the smell of gunpowder, the waves beneath his feet quivering as hellfire rained down upon his targets mercilessly. Chains of near-deafening explosions flashed before him as legions were sunk by his hand but he paid them no mind, merely turning his attention to the runners next.

"You won't escape..."

Gold bled abruptly into his eyes like liquid mercury, his vision sharpening as he locked onto his newfound prey, small chubby hands reached out as if to pluck them from the horizon and deadly armaments of steel and iron moved in tandem to assert his wishes. He looked on without the slightest care as enemy hulls seemed to fold in on themselves as his salvo of rounds perforated their now warped and mangled forms, sending quite a few to the depths below while crippling a great many more in the process.

A few turned to face him in open defiance, their jagged ebony gun barrels aim squarely at his lumbering form before firing upon him in tandem, the flash of their combined discharge lit the now murky oil-stained waters below as they fought desperately to bring down the singular Battleship.

Naruto watched as his rigging swiveled, lustrous black chrome hull plating protecting him from harm as their weaker shells bounced off his superior defense before commanding his main guns to fire a new and devastating salvo of shells that ripped the last of his opposition to shreds in moments.

It wasn't even a fight at this point...

He sighed as he began to clean up the stragglers, those that had failed to escape in time were being rendered into unrecognizable heaps of metal by his turrets. Gold tinted eyes fading slowly back to deep blue as his adrenalin seeped out from him. His guns lowered into a more relaxed position before eventually dispersing in a brief shower of light leaving him to move unhindered.

Turning his back to the last of the escaping fleet he made his way through the leftover wreckage, the slowly sinking remains of his handiwork surrounding him like a field of corpses as he threaded gently through the calming waters. He stopped and briefly placed his hand upon one of the wrecks, inspecting it for the sake of his curiosity.

The metal was brittle but still hot to the touch, not that it bothered him but he noted it all the same. The slowly fading hull was riddled with holes that he recognized as having come from his secondary guns, likely with an enemy that had strayed too close to him while he was 'working'.

He stared ahead quietly as he caught sight of his reflection in one of the tinted panes of glass that hadn't been shattered by his seemingly unending assault, barring some stray ash dusting his coat he looked almost pristine, not even a single hair seemed out of place. With the rush of battle now over he found himself feeling almost..._Disappointed._

Not in himself but in the lack of challenge, he hadn't needed to push very hard to bring this enemy to their knees. For all their numbers they hadn't posed much of a threat even if he'd had the advantage of a sneak attack, even with time to organize an attack they'd only lasted what felt like mere minutes before the rest fled like mice. He silently hoped that next time he would get to push himself a bit harder.

Leaving the wreckage behind he peeked out from behind yet another slowly burning wreckage to take stock of the first ships outside of the Sakura Empire he'd ever laid eyes on, and the reason for their detour. The Royal Navy, home to the proud but ever elegant maids and royalty of the British fleet that made up a large core of Azur Lane. Kaga had praised their power and frightening level of teamwork and even Akagi had begrudgingly agreed that the Royal Navy had more than earned their place within the organization.

He had to admit they weren't exactly what he was expecting but that wasn't a bad thing, he actually sort of liked their done up look, it was a far cry from the looser garments that were more popular among the Sakura girls.

"Ano... She's even bigger than Onee-chan..." He gazed in slight amazement at the impressive 'torpedo bulges' on display from the Royals, if they were all so heavily armored then he could understand how they'd earned such a fearsome reputation.

He may have also idly wondered if they would make a nice place to sleep.

"Royal pillows..."

_**-Back at Base-**_

Akagi's hand abruptly clenched around the porcelain glass cup in her hands, the cracked glass falling to the floor in a shower of lukewarm tea and small gleaming shards as her tails twisted and writhed in annoyance behind her. A twinge of unknown fury sparked through her disotrying the calm atmosphere she'd built in the privacy of her home, a small tug at her senses ruining any chance of peace that might have settled within her.

She didn't know why she was mad but something inside her warned of ill tidings, forces that would greatly reduce her Naru time...

...

* * *

_**AN. Chapter Complete **_

**So there we have it the first taste of Naruto's combat ability, like I mentioned before this wasn't meant to be a huge fight or even one that would push him a ton since it was mostly just cannon fodder but give an idea of what he is capable of normally. I would class him as a Priority Research Ship so his firepower is greater than most SRs given that his tech is a bit more developed with his Siren half.**

**I decided not to show what skills he'll have since I want to save those until he's actually in a fight that requires them plus I think it fits the theme of him discovering more about himself with time and experience than just rushing along.**

**Of course, we also have the second faction being introduced here with the Royal Navy. I asked you guys for your preferences and it was pretty much a coin flip between the Iron Bloods or the Royals but I decided to start with the Royals since there are quite a few distinct personalities in that faction that would be fun to interact with. I know a lot of people wanted to see Belfast, Queen Liz, Warspite, Hood, etc so I think it'll be better to start there but don't worry we will get to everyone eventually (I hope)**

**I'm sure my Eagle Union fans really want Enterprise to appear sooner rather than later, just give it time!**

**So with that out of the way, I'll talk a bit more about the story.**

**For one, Naruto's attitude towards combat:**

**I don't want to go too deep into this because I do have plans for Naruto's attitude to change depending on how intense a battle becomes and his unique situation. I will say, however, that he does not hate or even dislike to fight, he doesn't like to hurt his allies but he has little to qualms about fighting enemies and in this specific example where the ships he fought didn't resemble humanoids that point is made more obvious.**

**Naturally, he will eventually have to fight other girls and that may or may not cause him some hesitation but I wanted that to be clear.**

**Two, Romance clarifications:**

**So I got a few questions on this that I wanted to offer a bit of clarification on to help get people settled on what exactly could be expected from possible romance choices for Naruto here.**

**Will there be a romance option at all for Naruto?**

**Yes. since it looks like the story is going to continue (at least as of present) then there will almost certainly be a pairing(s). Some people seemed a bit unsure if that was on the table or not so to be absolutely clear the answer to that is yes.**

**Is Naruto limited to only Destroyers/Subs/or Other smaller ships?:**

**No. I think this idea is born out of Naruto taking a more childlike form at the moment but he is not going to be limited to girls that are around his current size. One thing to keep in mind is that Naruto is half Siren and a key element to Siren ideology is evolution, Naruto is not necessarily going to be a static character in certain areas which is where I'll leave that thread.**

**But yes, other battleships, carriers, cruisers, etc are on the table so don't worry about that.**

**Lastly, will I be looking into or focusing on romances on outside characters? (such as the commander or other ships)**

**Not really, no. Since I plan to keep chapters short I don't really want to go in-depth with characters who don't have a ton of relation with the main cast. The Commander is a bit of an exception but that's primarily because she is a centerpiece of the story, it's why I kept Akagi's clinginess towards her rather than just shifting it towards Kaga.**

**That's all for now, obviously, we'll get to see just how the Royal girls respond to Naruto next chapter and eventually he will meet with the faction properly but that is for another chapter. I hope you enjoyed and take care!**

**New AL Ships Featured:**

**Belfast**

**London**

**Nelson**

**Nachi**


	5. The Invitation

_**-Last Chapter-**_

_Leaving the wreckage behind he peeked out from behind yet another slowly burning wreckage to take stock of the first ships outside of the Sakura Empire he'd ever laid eyes on, and the reason for their detour. _

_The Royal Navy, home to the proud but ever elegant maids and royalty of the British fleet that made up a large core of Azur Lane. Kaga had praised their power and frightening level of teamwork and even Akagi had begrudgingly agreed that the Royal Navy had more than earned their place within the organization._

_He had to admit they weren't exactly what he was expecting but that wasn't a bad thing, he actually sort of liked their done up look, it was a far cry from the looser garments that were more popular among the Sakura girls._

_"Ano... She's even bigger than Onee-chan..." He gazed in slightly amazement at the impressive 'torpedo bulges' on display from the Royals, if they were all so heavily armored then he could understand how they'd earned such a fearsome reputation._

_He may have also idly wondered if they would make a nice place to sleep._

_"Royal pillows..."_

_**~Present~**_

He watched from a distance as Nachi and Ayanami spoke with the Royal Navy ships, the topic of their conversation was lost to him from his far off position but their relaxed posturing more than hinted that there was some level of comfort between the two groups. Nachi seemed to be conversing with the leader of the Royals, a busty woman dressed up in a simple yet elegant maid outfit that seemed to walk the line between modest and eye catching.

Despite having just escaped the heat of battle he couldn't help but marvel at her refined mannerisms and appearance. Soft, milky white skin dolled up in layers of lace and frills that should have hindered her instead only enhanced her natural beauty while long silverish white hair ran down to the small of her back like curtains of pure silk. Long bangs framed her face and fell well past the edges of her rather endowed chest. Grey eyes twinkled with gratitude and the prim but inviting manner in which she held herself only added to her humble but striking allure.

His eyes wandered to her companion, a slightly shorter woman who seemed to forgo the maid aesthetic in favor of a more casual yet classy look. Garbed in a simple beige colored jacket, a conservative white blouse, a skirt that revealed her shapely legs, and long socks. She possessed long brown hair and reddish-brown eyes that gave her a distinct look and on her face sat a pair of wide red glasses that exuded a cute girl next door vibe.

The duel pairs seemed to be exchanging information at the moment and idly he noticed that the third one seemed to have moved away while he was making his observations.

"Ano... where did she go?" He muttered with brow furrowed but blinked slowly when the glare of the sun overhead seemed to dim abruptly, the light of day being obscured by some foreign object casting its shadow upon him. Tilting his head up curiously, he was met with a narrowed pair of ruby red eyes peering down upon him while large gun barrels locked onto his position.

They merely stared at one another like this for a few moments, neither was entirely sure what the appropriate move to make was in this situation.

...

"Hello..." He greeted breaking the staredown between the two, his nonplussed response seemingly taking her by surprise as he shifted to face her, his cloak fluttered slightly as he turned on his heel to take stock of the female in front of him.

She was big... well, big might have not been the proper way to describe her. She was a tall woman, her long, thick legs seemingly going on for miles before disappearing under her... dress? He wasn't sure what to call the odd mixture of her top and bottom but he supposed he wasn't one to talk about odd clothing choices. The clothing strained to hold back her prominent chest, the outline of which could be easily made out through the flexible material though it was helped somewhat by the bright red coat she wore over it.

Red seemed to be her color of choice as various shades of crimson could be found comprising most of her clothing. Long red thigh-high stockings ran up her legs complimenting her healthy cream-colored skin, her burgundy jacket, and even her hair accessories were matching shades of vermillion.

Fittingly her eyes were a darker shade of red as well.

If she had red hair he might have found her commitment to one color a bit concerning but she possessed long blond hair a few shades lighter than his own, which were done up in twin-tails that hung loosely at her sides.

She also seemed to be highly agitated judging by the less than pleased look that was settled on her face.

"You were the cause of this weren't you?!" She growled keeping her guns trained on the small male in front of her, his clothing and general appearance serving as a clear indication of his position among the Siren ranks. "Ambushing us for another one of your sick experiments!" She accused.

He tilted his head curiously as her assertions but did not rise to her accusations.

"No, I only wanted to help." He countered staring her in the eyes with unflinching resolve. "I am not a Siren, not entirely..." He informed trying to defuse her ire. He understood the misconception but he was not an enemy.

Nelson maintained her glare, her stubborn nature on full display as she made no move to lower her weapons. She would admit he was lacking certain Siren mainstays... his blue eyes and blond hair were traits not found in their main enemies, granted at this distance she still easily spotted stray locks of snow white hair mixed into his untamed blond locks that were common among his kind.

However, she'd never seen a male among the Sirens before which did give his words _some _credibility... but who was to say that he wasn't just a new enemy they'd yet to discover until now!

"You think I'm going to believe that?" She hissed folding her arms under her chest, unintentionally making the twin globes more prominent than she may have realized. "After what we just went through?"

He stared at her for a few moments before softly clicking his teeth.

"Stubborn..." He pouted and tucked his arms away in his coat and to her shock, he proceeded to ignore her and instead turn back to face the group he'd been observing. Small ripples emerging with his every step as he casually walked towards them snapping her out of her trance.

"Hey! Stop!" She called out in annoyance yet for all her anger she didn't fire upon him, his actions were out of character for the normally sadistic or emotionless personality types of the Siren's they had encountered... enough so that she would stay her hand for the moment.

Her commotion did, however, catch the attention of her remaining party.

"Miss Nelson?" London quirked a brow before her eyes widened at the small figure seemingly waddling away from their resident tsundere. The telltale glow of Siren technology immediately catching her gaze and prompting her to once again summon her rigging, pistol clenched tightly in hand and ready to fight if need be.

By her side, Belfast's twin turrets were already primed and the head maid face had shifted from her usual courteous smile to a more serious, grim expression reserved only for battle. They might be low on ammo, but they wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Wait!"

The HMS girls floundered a bit as Nachi practically threw herself in the line of their fire, her normally haughty disposition thrown out the window as she flailed her arms frantically in an effort to stay their fire. In any other situation, the sight would have been more than a bit comical but in the presence of a Siren, it was only more puzzling.

Nachi breathed a sigh of relief seeing the pair of light cruisers lower their guns slightly, not enough that they couldn't react if need be but just enough that she wasn't worried about them taking potshots at her charge.

"Miss Nachi, is there something we should know about?" Belfast looked upon her fellow cruiser with concern but kept her voice level as was fitting for someone of her station. "You seemed much too relaxed right now." She noted drawing a nod from London who kept her sights trained on the cloaked figure making his way towards them.

"Well..." Nachi bit her lip as she tried to come up with an answer that wouldn't seem entirely suspicious. The _initial _plan had been for Naruto to disrupt the fleet from behind while she and Ayanami picked up the Royals, he was then _supposed _to make his way back out to sea before being seen.

_Clearly, that hadn't gone as planned._

"He is an ally, a Siren created by the Commander." Ayanami's bored voice answered in Nachi's place drawing an indignant squawk from the foxy cruiser at the causal reveal of what was supposed to be a guarded secret. "He is not a threat." She insisted sparing them a passing look before walking off to meet him leaving Nachi to double over in exasperation at her unwieldy charges, she was supposed to be in charge here!

"No respect for protocol..." She grumbled.

"Your Excellency created... a Siren?" London's brow furled as she dematerialized her riggings her gloved hands rubbing softly against her chin while she processed the new tidbit of information. "Why were we not informed of such a thing?" She asked.

Picking herself off the ground Nachi decided it would be best that she offer some explanation before misconceptions could take hold.

"To my understanding, the Commander wanted to be sure his creation was a success before introducing him, a proof of concept." She explained seriously. "She had plans to slowly introduce him to each faction at an appropriate time but when that would have been, is known only to her."

Belfast nodded along quietly to herself at the explanation, it didn't take a genius to imagine the uproar such a process would cause or the backlash if such a procedure ended up only exacerbating the Siren threat. Still... to have created a living, breathing, Siren right under their noses was nothing short of amazing yet also worrying, she would need to speak with her Commander about such recklessness going forward.

"You are confident he is harmless then?" She asked, stowing her guns in favor of watching the boy get lightly scolded by the IJN destroyer. The pair making their way through the mostly submerged wreckage of the previous battle while behind them Nelson followed wearily.

"I wouldn't say harmless..." Nachi gestured to the ship graveyard around them as proof that despite his size he was still more than capable of matching some of the stronger battleships in raw power. "But he's a sweetheart really and he won't attack anyone he recognizes as an ally." She assured, offering what she hoped was a sincere looking smile.

"I see." Belfast hummed slightly and nodded. "May we meet him?"

"I suppose so... at this point, it doesn't really matter." Nachi sighed and turned to face her little chibis. "Naruto come here!" She called prompting the sailing trio to turn back at her shout.

Naruto slowly made his way over to her side but didn't spare the Heavy Cruiser even a passing glance as he did so, his attention instead locked firmly on the two HMS girls inspecting him. He could see their eyes ghosting over certain parts of his attire but he was used to such gawking and merely took the time to memorize their faces and appearance.

Finally, Belfast decided to take initiative and offered a radiant smile towards the youth. Crouching down to eye level she tentatively reached out and softly ran her fingers through his somewhat messy hair and she allowed a melodious giggle to escape her lips as he leaned almost instantly into her touch, his lazy expression replaced with one of bliss as she offered him a minor bit of pampering.

It was becoming a somewhat well known secret among the IJN fleet that their resident Siren greatly enjoyed such gestures and it was slowly becoming a bit of a tradition to pat the blond for luck before heading out on missions since he would often wait by the dorm entrance to see the girls off. A few had taken to calling him the mascot of the Sakura Empire though there was fierce competition for such a position so it wasn't official but he was developing quite a fanbase among some of the older girls.

"Naruto, was it? I wish to thank you for your earlier assistance. Had you not arrived I can only imagine how sour this event might have proceeded. On behalf of myself and the Royal Navy, you have my sincerest thanks." She praised all the while carefully thumbing his whiskered cheeks earning a soft mewl of satisfaction from him that only brightened her smile.

She could see what Nachi meant by him being sweet, she didn't think she could tire of seeing such a chuffed expression.

Pulling himself out of the haze of pleasure at her ministration he offered a kind smile in return and nodded. "It's fine, allies should assist one another..." He didn't think what he did was special but he would accept more head pats if she truly wished to thank him. He wondered if Akagi-nee and Kaga-nee would like head pats too?

He would give them some when he returned.

London watched with amusement as the head maid spoiled the little battleship, it was rare to see Belfast connect very quickly with anyone outside of the Royal Navy. The last person she'd taken so well too was the Commander, though being one of the first ships to be deployed under her she supposed it wasn't all too surprising that the pair had clicked rather swiftly.

It seemed there was another on that list now.

Crouching down beside her mission leader she offered her own bit of pampering to the almost preening child, his face flushed from the attention but he made no move escape and if anything he merely readjusted himself to allow them greater access. Half lidded eyes now closed in an expression of bliss.

Off to the side, Nachi smirked behind her manicured fingers as the mighty Royals were entrapped by the whiskered youth's unintentional adorableness. She would have to submit such a frightening power in her report, perhaps they could use such a thing to their advantage in the future...

Meanwhile, Ayanami looked on with slight annoyance at the slightly fawning cruisers though why the sight bothered her was a mystery she's yet to figure out. She huffed and readjusted her sword but every so often would steal a few glances over towards the trio.

Eventually, Belfast and London seemed to return to their senses much to Naruto's quiet displeasure and the pair took a step back with a slight cough of embarrassment.

"Forgive us, it seems the fatigue of battle has left us a bit indulgent." Belfast coughed before turning to the final member of their party who had yet to properly greet the boy. "Nelson, would you like to say something?"

Nelson huffed but stepped forward and begrudgingly crouched so that she was eye level with the little brat.

"Don't think because you helped us out this once that were friends... but you did a good job so I guess you can't be all bad." She admitted allowing her usual scowl to soften a bit and offering him a quick pat as well causing him to nod happily.

"You're such a tsundere Nelson~" Nachi giggled causing Nelson to flush and round on the laughing cruiser.

"S-Shut up! No one was talking to you!"

...

"And that concludes our report Commander"

Mirai hummed to herself as she read over the after-action report which backed up Nachi's overall summary of the mission events. Their trade routes still appeared to be safe which was good news but at the moment that was not as pressing of a concern compared to the rest of the report. Her eyes scanned over pages of combat data from their skirmish with the Siren mob fleet and she was torn between feelings of pride and annoyance.

She was proud that Naruto had handled himself so well and according to these statistics was more than battle-ready by the looks of things but she was simultaneously annoyed that his existence had been leaked but given the circumstances, she supposed this was the better outcome. She also had to admit it brought her a bit of peace to here he held some desire to protect all members of Azur Lane, not just those he knew personally.

"You three did well and even if this undoes some of my plans I'm glad you put your comrades first above all else." She praised offering them a kind smile. "Thank you all for your hard work, I'll handle things from here." She then turned to Ayanami and Nachi.

"You two are dismissed for the rest of the day so make sure to rest up, I need to speak with Naruto for a bit."

The pair nodded and said their goodbyes to the young Battleship who waved cheerfully as they exited the main office leaving just him and Mirai alone.

Once she was sure the pair were gone she beckoned the boy over and inspected him for any damage. Thankfully he seemed completely unharmed which was good because she really didn't need Akagi going on a rampage at the moment, she had sent both her and her sister out on a "simple" sortie just to be sure there would be time to cover up any major scratches.

Call her paranoid if you wish but she wasn't taking chances.

"How did you like your first sortie?" She asked picking up and placing him on the edge of her desk so that she could continue working without having to peer down at him. "Was it exciting enough for you?"

"It was okay, the enemies were pretty weak though..." He kicked his legs back and forth a bit as he recalled the feeling of dissatisfaction he'd felt when the dust settled. "Maybe something a little harder next time?" He suggested and she laughed a bit to herself at the bit of hope she could hear in his voice at the none too subtle request.

He would get along well with the Eagle Union girls with that attitude, they were always on the lookout for a new challenge.

"Maybe you're just too strong." She countered, poking him in the side with the butt of her pen making him huff a bit but she knew he barely felt it. "The little maelstrom packs a big punch."

"Mou... don't tease me, Commander." He pouted but softened his glare when she rubbed at his cheeks practically melting into her hand as she did so. She was well aware of his weakness and made sure to exploit it when she could, it also helped solidify the bond the two shared. She was his commanding figure but she knew that with him, more than possibly any other ship under her supervision, that it was important that he felt a positive connection to them.

It was why she didn't mind Akagi's forceful approach and was more than happy to allow Atago to take up the role of the boy's self-appointed big sister without complaint. Bonds were crucial to his development just as much as his training and equipment were and if it would help keep him attached than she saw no harm in it.

"No can do, you are too cute not to tease." She chuckled, tapping him on the nose as she reached over to grab something. "But I do have something to speak with you about."

"What is it?" He asked.

"What are your thoughts on the girls you met today?" She questioned putting her pen down to focus her attention on him. "Did you like them?"

"The Royal Navy girls?..." He closed his eyes and mental images of the three women he'd met earlier sprung to mind. "I liked them... the tall blond one is funny but kinda stubborn, and the other two were really nice to me." He noted before looking back at her. "Why?"

She nodded before handing him a letter she'd grabbed which he held onto carefully, a look of confusion on his face as he studied the fancy wax seal that kept the letter's contents secured. A lion's head topped with a crown was pressed into the dull red wax, the insignia of its owner.

"You've been formally invited to visit the Royal Navy dorms for tea time as a thank you for your help." She informed resting her chin on her palm. "Apparently, you made quite an impression since the request was delivered shortly after they returned."

His eyes widened slightly and he looked at the envelope with a bit more care now that he was aware of its contents, an invitation to meet with the Royal Navy...

"Ano... can I go?" He asked looking up towards his Commander with hopeful eyes. He was aware that he wasn't supposed to leave the Sakura dorms unless he was specifically called by her and this sounded like there would be quite a few people here.

"That's up to you." She admitted to his surprise, leaning back into her chair she let out a deep breath she'd been holding. "You've proved that I can't keep you tucked away forever and as much as Akagi might protest you have a right to meet the others." She admitted sending a relaxed grin his way.

"If you want to go then I won't stop you and I don't think you'll have any problems with those girls." She wasn't too concerned overall about his safety with the Royal Navy, of the four main factions they were probably the tamest though of course there were some outliers, but every group had their black sheep so it wouldn't be fair of her to judge too harshly.

He nodded and turned his focus back to the thin letter within his hands, he'd never had a proper tea time before... Kaga preferred to drink chilled sake, something she forbid him from having for some reason, and Akagi didn't really do big social gatherings unless the Commander was in attendance.

Something about keeping her eyes open for threats.

Opening the sealed envelope with all the grace his chubby fingers could muster he was treated to some of the most elegant and perfect handwriting he'd ever seen, half of it made no real sense to him but he could pick out the information he needed. The event would be held in three days in the gardens of the Royal Navy Dorms in the company of some of the most respected members of the Queen's court.

It all sounded very fancy... he was a bit nervous about it now that he was thinking about it.

As if sensing his growing anxiety Mirai gently laid her palm against his spikey locks, the weight of her hand pushing his head down a bit breaking him from his thoughts. She smiled reassuringly and tousled his hair a bit to ease his worries.

"It'll be fun, I've attended more than my fair share of these little meetings and they are nowhere near as scary as they might seem. Just mind your manners and try to have a good time." She said recalling her own meetings with the Royals. For as stuffy as they might seem they were much more relaxed than the other factions gave them credit for.

"Mkay..." He smiled back and allowed her to scoop him back up before placing him back upon the floor, his covered feet sinking slightly into the plush rug of her office.

"I'll have Atago or Takao escort you when it's time so just carry on as usual for now, try to keep to the dorms for just a little while longer though, at least until you've after your meeting."

"Hai."

"Then you are dismissed."

_**-Later that Night-**_

Akagi and Kaga sighed in utter exhaustion as they made their way into their shared room, their tails dragging along the floor beneath them as they trudged into the safety and comfort of the home. It wasn't often they were sent out but when they were it was almost exclusively for the most tiring sorties possible, of course, they handled themselves with the utmost grace but hours of nonstop combat could wear away at even the most hardened of fighters.

At least they were home now.

"Akagi-nee, Kaga-nee!"

Naruto's tiny face peeked out from the bathroom before the soft patter of feet on wood altered them to his incoming presence, he never ran anywhere much to their amusement, preferring instead to take things at his own pace and either walk or jog. Still, it wasn't long before he'd situated himself before them with unrestrained happiness gleaming in his eyes as he embraced their tired forms.

Akagi smiled at the gesture and happily kneeled down to scooped him into her arms her in a tight hug, previously drained energy reserves seemingly topped back to full in his presence as she rubbed her cheek reverently against his own with a sigh of content while behind her, her tails twitched and shuddered in delight wrapping almost possessively around the boy.

Kaga made a mental note to talk with her sister about creating boundaries sometime in the future but held her tongue for now in favor of enjoying the spectacle.

"How was your mission?" He asked.

"Nothing worth our time." Akagi quickly preened in response, her pride in her power as well as a desire to show off in front of him forcing her to bury her exhaustion with a bit of false bravado. "Still, it is up to us to show the rest of the girls how to get things done so there really is no helping it." She finished with a false sigh of resignation, as though it was merely a chore on their part running sorties.

"So strong..." He looked upon her in wonder as she told him bits and pieces of their mission, he could only imagine how strong his two sisters were... maybe the commander would let him tag along on their next mission if he did well in his future assignments!

His eyes widened slightly as he remembered a thought he'd had earlier in the day and he slowly wiggled out of the foxy carrier's embrace much to her confusion and slight annoyance. She wanted to cuddle her Naruto damn it, all day she'd been worried sick and now that she saw he was safe and sound she was going to get her Naru time!

That train of thought was promptly thrown right out the window however as a pleasurable tingle abruptly ran down her spine, her fluffy ears twitching and stretching as gentle fingers massaged and caressed the base of her furry appendages. Fiery Crimson eyes mellowed into a smoldering maroon and pleased mews of satisfaction escaped her parted lips as she was hit with a sensation she'd not felt in a long time... not since her sister had been forced to retire.

Naruto smiled brightly as Akagi practically melted into his touch as he scratched and rubbed at her ears her now once kneeling form now slumped haphazardly to the ground as she quickly made herself comfortable upon his leg having succumbed to both her prior fatigue and his ministrations. His attention then turned to Kaga who had a slight flush of embarrassment upon her cheeks at seeing her elder sister reduced to such an inappropriate state and the expectant gaze of the blond who was now reaching towards her with his free hand.

_He wasn't really expecting her to join into such an embarrassing moment, was he?_

"Come here..." He whined and wiggled his tiny fingers in her direction with a pout upon his lips at her refusal, his other hand never once pausing in its treatment of now almost comatose Akagi who looked seconds away from entering nirvana from the listless expression gracing her features.

"I-I'd rather not-" She rebuked softly trying her best to ignore the pair but her eyes continued to wander to the now purring form of her once proud and stalwart sister and her own ears twitched ever so slightly at the phantom sensation of similar treatment being applied to herself.

_It did look good..._

"Please, just a little bit..." His eyes almost seemed to double in size and she felt her resolve shatter like glass before his pleading face, the resemblance to a young fox kit immediately springing to mind as she reluctantly bent down to allow him access to her ears. She cursed herself once more for her inability to deny the youth in front of her.

"Very well... but only for a moment." She sighed and bowed her head just low enough for him to reach and hiding her less than calm expression under the curtain of her hair. She would not allow herself to succumb so easily to such trite actions as a bit of head patting, she was a Carrier of the First Division and a master of aerial warfare. She would not be brought low by a bit of petting.

"Honestly, Such behavior is unfittin...unfit... uhh... _hmmm_..."

Kaga's words died in her throat as small digits began to work their magic and pleasure assaulted her senses, shocks of comfort ran down her spine all the way through her now flutter tails as his hands worked their way around the base of her ears. Unconsciously, she leaned deeper into his touch following his hands as he combed through her hair and over her scalp in a way no one other than a select few could ever claim to have even attempted. Sharp blue eyes grew hazy and lidded as her knees buckled and gave way.

She could only take pride that it took her _marginally _longer than her sister to find her own head situated similarly upon the boy's free leg. The twin pair of kitsunes now huddled together along the floor as a cheerful Naruto took his time to pamper the twin sisters with his favorite gesture of affection.

_It was official, everyone loved head pats!_

* * *

**AN. Chapter Complete!**

**So it has been a bit since the last chapter though that is to be expected since I've got other stuff I need to handle but I don't think the wait has been that long. The chapter is a bit shorter than some of the previous chapters but that's just because it's not really big on story content and it more set up for the introduction of the Royal Navy, I also have Thanksgiving prep to help with so I can't hole up and write all day sadly.**

**So, without further ado let's talk story details:**

**Like I said there isn't a ton to discuss here since the fighting ended in the last chapter and Naruto got his first look at some of the girls from the Royal Navy. I didn't spend too long going into the personalities of Belfast, London, or Nelson here since I want to save that for the big meeting next time but also for missions/events that Naruto will engage with/do with said girls since he will naturally be working with all the factions on things. **

**In regards to what Royal Navy girls he will be meeting with next time, you can expect some of the more prominent ships from the faction but probably not all of them. Too many characters and a chapter can quickly become a mess so it'll likely be a key few that I think will be cute/important for him to meet.**

**I hope you are all looking forward to that.**

**Moving on:**

**Naruto has a bit more personality now that before, he's still pretty quiet but I wanted to show that he's getting more comfortable and even somewhat indulgent enjoying things like being spoiled and in the case of the foxes, spoiling others. The more time that passes and the more personalities he is exposed to will no doubt start to rub off on him and we will very likely see a more familiar Naruto be born from it.**

**He's grown closer to the sister carriers, the Commander, and a few others that I will show in more detail later (like Ayanami) and there are still many more to come but that will take time.**

**You Lucky E lovers will get your time in the sun eventually.**

**With that said I think that covers everything, not a ton to go over and I don't want to bloat this author's note. I've spoken about pairings before and I at least want to have all the factions appear before we look to heavily into those. I will also say if there is a certain girl that you'd like to appear (in the story not romantically) let me know in a review. I can't remember all the characters off the top of my head, so it's nice getting an idea of who people really want to see early so I can try to write around that when I can.**

**The little moment at the end with Akagi and Kaga was just for fun but I hope you still liked the interaction.**

**Thank you all so much for the support, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll see you all next time! (And Happy Thanksgiving!)**


	6. A Royal Gathering

**_-Last Chapter-_**

_"What is it?" He asked._

_"What are your thoughts on the girls you met today?" She questioned putting her pen down to focus her attention on him. "Did you like them?"_

_"The Royal Navy girls?..." He closed his eyes and mental images of the three women he'd met earlier sprung to mind. "I liked them... the tall blond one is funny but kinda stubborn, and the other two were really nice to me." He noted before looking back at her. "Why?"..._

_"You've been formally invited to visit the Royal Navy dorms for tea time as a thank you for your help." She informed resting her chin on her palm. "Apparently, you made quite an impression since the request was delivered shortly after they returned."_

_His eyes widened slightly and he looked at the envelope with a bit more care now that he was aware of its contents, an invitation to meet with the Royal Navy…_

**_~Present~_**

"Hello again, Naru-chan!"

Atago smiled playfully as she kneeled down and happily took her newest charge into her arms, his light frame fitting easily in her grip as she smothered the boy in her affection, not that he seemed to mind all that much, being more than content to allow her to do as she pleased.

"Hello, Onee-chan." He greeted, his voice slightly muffled from his position within her chest but she caught it nonetheless and giggled softly at his usual deadpan manner of speaking. She had made a silent vow to fluster him one day but that would have to wait for another time. She was here to escort him per the Commander's orders.

That didn't mean she couldn't have a little fun on the way though.

Releasing him from her hold she quickly took his smaller hand in her own and the two began their walk over to the blond's current destination, the dorm belonging to the Royal Navy. The Commander had filled her in on the details and in her personal opinion, she thought this was probably the best way to introduce him to their neighboring faction. Of all the groups comprising Azur Lane, the Royal Navy was arguably the most stable in terms of its members. The Iron Bloods could be a bit… intense, while the Eagle Union was home to some very overwhelming personalities.

She also couldn't deny that even Among the Sakura Empire there were a few troublesome spirits though rumors seemed to suggest the boy had evidently managed to tame some of the more… problematic girls within their little family.

_Out at sea a certain foxy carrier sneezed violently, unintentionally setting fire to a whole swath of ocean in the process._

"So, I hear someone has a meeting with the Royals today... how are you feeling about that?" She asked sparing him a brief look to get a gauge of his thoughts. Naturally, his impassive expression gave nothing away and she was reminded of a certain Union destroyer that'd she'd had the distinct pleasure of working with on occasion.

"Nervous… I'm not sure what to do." He admitted allowing a small frown to grace his features while clutching his cloak tightly. "The Commander said not to worry, but…" He trailed off and unconsciously clutched her hand a bit tighter than he'd probably meant to.

He was so adorable.

"Poor boy." She knelt down and gently rubbed at his cheeks to calm him down. "They are going to love you so don't worry about a thing, okay? Just be yourself and the rest will come naturally." She reassured.

"If you say so…" He nodded feeling the slight tension that had plagued him melt away under her ministrations, his breathing leveling out and his shoulders slumping ever so slightly as he forced himself to relax somewhat. He was still nervous but he wasn't as worried.

"Good boy." She praised and stood back up once more taking his hand as they continued their walk. Along the way, they made idle conversation and she was internally pleased to see him speak much more actively than he had before, he wasn't a motormouth by any means but he could carry a conversation with greater ease than before.

A small bit of progress was better than nothing.

It didn't take them too long to reach the Royal Navy dorms, they were built fairly close together to encourage the factions to interact rather than limit themselves to small pockets of the base and for the most part, had proven successful in their goal. It also helped to have a common enemy of course, it was easier to trust one another when the need to cooperate superseded any old grudges.

Not to say that coming together had entirely removed the bad blood but in her mind, a friendly rivalry wasn't a bad thing. It pushed them to do better in the end.

"Miss Atago? I wasn't expecting to see you today."

So caught up in her thoughts she'd completely overlooked the waiting cruiser standing at the ornate entrance of their destination.

"Hello Belfast, you are looking as elegant as ever." She greeted with a friendly grin. The two of them were much closer than some might have imagined, having been forced to work together quite closely during the earliest days of Azur Lane's inception they had come to find some common ground during their service. There was a great deal of mutual respect shared between them as well as a bit of healthy competition but it was all in good fun.

"Thank you." She bowed at the compliment before turning her attention to the youth at her friend's side. "Would it be incorrect to assume you are here to deliver young Naruto to us?" She asked with a hint of mirth seeing how close her old friend was to the child at her hip. It wasn't too surprising given Atago's sisterly tendencies that she would connect quickly with the boy.

Not that she could blame the woman, the boy was just too adorable for his own good.

Atago laughed and nodded. "You would be correct, I trust you will take care of him for me? I must say I have grown quite attached to him." She admitted shamelessly while running her gloved fingers through his yellow mane much to the boy's quiet pleasure and the cruiser's amusement.

"Of course, he will be treated to the full extent of Royal hospitality." Belfast smiled and nodded stepping forward and kneeling to greet the boy herself. "It is a pleasure to have you with us today, Naruto." She reached out and traced her fingers along his whiskers earning a slight purr from the blond who happily leaned into her touch.

"Thank you for inviting me." He said and offered a little bow as Kaga had instructed him to do. The Carrier had taken the time to give him a crash course on proper etiquette in secret since, unlike her sister she had no real issues with him interacting with the other girls.

_Out at sea another foxy carrier felt a slight flash of possessiveness come over her and she mercilessly sunk yet another fleet in her anger before quickly squashing those feelings down before they could take hold._

"Of course, everyone is very eager to meet you." She said.

She wasn't lying either, the knowledge of any Siren, even a half-Siren living within their HQ was more than enough to stir conversation. Out of respect for the Commander, she had only informed her leaders of his existence but had omitted many details under the pretense of having them meet him and judge for themselves.

Atago nodded and handed the Naruto off to the head maid.

"I wish I could stay and join in the festivities but unfortunately other matters require my attention so I must take my leave." She said giving her farewells and offering her old friend a brief nod before turning on her heel and leaving the pair to watch her, her swaying form vanishing from sight as she rounded a corner leading off deeper into the base.

...

"Well, I think we've waited long enough." Belfast broke the silence between them, gently taking his hand in hers and began leading him inside. "Her Majesty's patience can only hold for so long and for everyone's sake it would be in our best interest to hurry along." She explained.

"Okay…" He nodded and quietly took a moment to prepare himself.

It would be his first time in front of true Royalty after all...

…

"Fancy."

There was no other way to describe the scene laid out before him, a long stain glass dining table stretched out from one end of the beautifully maintained garden to the other. Arranged with perfect symmetry was a buffet of delicious looking cakes, crackers, cookies, and tea just begging to be consumed. Plates were pre-set for every seat and there was no lack of space for any extra guests should the need arise.

The garden itself was also a sight to behold on its own. Full of blossoming flowers of every shade and hue but all trimmed neatly in a row forming perfectly symmetrical patterns and designs that drew in the eye. The grass was trimmed down neatly and shined with health that could only be obtained with laborious acts of care and dedication, while overhead rows of archways marked pathways to various verandas and small outcroppings that dotted the massive greenery.

It was the perfect setting to hold tea time.

"Her Majesty and her court are still inside but will be out shortly." Belfast explained seeing the youth at her side staring curiously at the array of empty seats. "I just wished to take you aside and give you a small word of advice before you meet my fellow sisters in arms."

He turned and gave the head maid his full attention prompting her to proceed.

"You will be in the presence of some of the most prestigious maidens in the world, it is important to remember to mind your manners but don't be afraid to be yourself either." She advised. "A compliment here and there will no doubt ingratiate you so feel free to lay on a bit of charm." She suggested subtly.

That last bit wasn't entirely unnecessary in actuality but it would no doubt garner some very entertaining reactions which were more than enough for her. She'd heard rumblings that the Sakura girls were already absolutely smitten with the boy and she had no doubt he'd win over many of the softer hearted members of their court even with his unique position.

He might even crack their resident ice queen of a maid if he tried hard enough.

…

"Where is she?"

Queen Elizabeth huffed upon her throne while impatient blue eyes scanned over her assembled entourage in search of the head of her maid forces. Gloved fingers tapped rapidly against the gilded arms of her seat while her other hand rested against her cheek holding her head up as she sat slumped in her chair. "It has been entirely too long since she departed."

She detested waiting.

"I'm sure Miss Belfast will arrive shortly my Queen, I'm sure she is simply ensuring everything is up to your standards." Warspite assured standing calmly at her side, as the Queen's most trusted guard she also doubled as the voice of reason that could temper their lovely leaders… strong personality.

Sometimes anyway.

"Hmph, you are probably correct… that doesn't mean I enjoy all this sitting around." She sighed sliding further into her seat in a manner unbecoming of one with the title of Queen. "If she does not return soon I might expire from hunger." She moaned drawing a sweatdrop from her attendant.

"My Queen… you just ate not even over an hour ago… your hull might start to sag if you keep snacking between meals" She lectured.

Elizabeth blushed and sat up straighter in her seat sucking in her stomach as she did so in spite of herself. "W-Warspite I'll not have you commenting on weight so casually! Least of all with these dairy cows present!" She wailed throwing glances of hatred towards a few specific members of her court that seemed to be taunting her.

At least the main offender was nowhere to be seen… for now…

"My Queen you are a paragon of nobility, you have nothing to be ashamed of." Warspite encouraged hastily trying to avoid one of her Majesty's many tirades on the injustice of her lacking chest department. It was a common occurrence during these gatherings as it seemed God saw fit to bless many within their fleet with sizable… chest protections, much to the ire of her Majesty.

Of course, she had tried to assure her Queen that chest size wasn't everything, though such advice often fell on deaf ears.

"I'll bet that guest of ours is yet another one of those over-endowed heathens…" She grumbled already too far gone into her bout of melancholy to entertain any other ideas. "Watch Warspite, at any moment those doors are going to open and some big titted co-"

"Good day everyone! Please forgive the delay." Belfast chimed offering a deep bow of apology as she made her way inside the main hall and unknowingly silencing the incoming insults of her Queen. "I know you have all been waiting but I simply had to give our guest a brief tour of our home." She explained with an easy-going smile that drew a few chuckles from around the room.

From behind her skirt, Naruto peeked his head out immediately drawing the attention of the room to the maids hip. Those who had been filled in on her report paying special attention to the youth using the cruiser like a curtain

Belfast continued undaunted, sauntering into the room with all the grace she was known for. "I would like to introduce our guest for the afternoon." She gently brought Naruto out from behind her dress allowing the assembly to witness him in full. "As you may have heard my party and I were ambushed a few days ago, Our situation was truly dire but with young Naruto's assistance we escaped without harm." She explained.

Naruto blushed a bit at the unexpected praise his eyes falling to his feet in embarrassment as Belfast relayed the extent of his assistance.

"As such, it brings me great joy to have him here as my guest and to meet the rest of our lovely family. Please treat him well." She finished resting a gentle hand upon his head the smile never leaving her face as quite a few of her companions that hadn't been privy to her briefing sputtered at the sight of a Siren within their home.

_This was going to be quite a sight~_

_..._

"Feel free to mingle amongst the crowd while you wait, I must finish the preparations for her Majesty." Belfast whispered pushing the boy forward. "In fact, you have your first pair of visitors incoming now so I think I'll leave you in their capable hands." She giggled before sashaying

away with a click of her heels, leaving him on his own.

He blinked slowly at her sudden departure but took it in stride turning his attention away from the departing maid and to the figures making their way towards him. His eyes lighting up in recollection at the sight of a familiar face.

"Nel-chan" He greeted happily, excited to see the stubborn but amusing blond once again.

He'd initially thought Nelson didn't like him much given her less than kind tone when addressing him but Nachi told him that the battleship was something called a "tsundere". He didn't fully get it but apparently, that just meant she would say the opposite of what she really meant which was a bit silly to him but he wouldn't judge her for it. Everyone has stuff they struggled with after all.

He also felt like she reminded him of someone but who exactly still eluded him, there was a soft clench in his chest when she looked upon him, the flickering image of another well endowed blond woman appearing briefly over her scowling figure before disappearing just as quickly as it had arrived much to his annoyance.

"Don't call me that!" She hissed stomping her way over with a scowl and a slight dust of red gracing her cheeks. "I'm only here because I have to be! I already told you we aren't friends so don't address me so casually!" She huffed crossing her arms under her bust. "You will address me by my proper name!"

"I like you too Nel-chan." He continued not at all bothered by the hostility in her tone and utterly ignoring her wishes.

"What did I just say!"

By her side, her companion giggled into her hand at the battleships ire drawing the duo's attention to her, Naruto with curiosity while Nelson felt embarrassment burning through her veins.

"Rodney stop laughing this isn't funny!" Nelson growled but it did little to stem her sister's laughter much to her annoyance if anything she laughed harder.

"Oh do forgive me, Nel-chan~" Rodney apologized smiling to herself as steam practically poured from her sister's ears. "It's just nice to see you enjoying yourself with your little friend here." She explained offering a sincere smile to the source of her sister's embarrassment.

Nelson sputtered and stomped a heeled boot onto the floor. "Are you not paying attention, he is not my friend!" She repeated. "And don't encourage him!"

"Hmm?" Rodney hummed curiously turning her amused gaze directly onto her bumbling sister. "But you haven't stopped talking about him ever since you returned? I thought you two were close?" She revealed with an innocent tilt of her head causing Nelson to choke on her spit as that little detail came to light while Naruto smiled happily at the thought of making such a good impression.

The Commander would be proud of him for sure.

"Stop talking!" She hissed but her anger was made rather comical by the atomic flush covering her face ruining her facade of rage and revealing the extent of her embarrassment. Nelson rounded on the blond who was watching the back and forth with amusement, these two were so different from Akagi and Kaga, even Takao and Atago weren't this funny to watch.

"I can't deal with either of you right now! Just know I am keeping an eye on you and stay away from me!" She huffed before turning on her heel and stomping away no doubt off to hide before she passed out from a mixture of humiliation and fury.

...

"Ahh… did I do something wrong?" He asked blinking at the battleships abrupt departure, he thought they were having fun? Why did she seem so upset?

Rodney merely laughed and shook her head at her sister's antics, for someone so proud she was so easily brought low by a bit of teasing. Part of her wished her sister would relax a bit but another part couldn't help but enjoy seeing her so wound up.

_The duality of sisterhood._

"Don't worry about her she is just happy to see you, I promise." She assured before remembering her manners and offering him a small bow of courtesy. "Forgive me I have not properly introduced myself, Nelson-class battleship - Rodney at your service~" She greeted offering him a kind smile.

"Hybrid-class battleship - Naruto." He greeted in return with a short bow and a soft smile. Despite having just met her he felt that she was a kind woman at heart, she just gave off a slightly mischievous but very loving aura. Though he wouldn't have guessed she was Nel-chan's sister since other than their… sizable chest plating, the two didn't look that much alike.

Rodney's features were much softer than her sisters with kind light purple eyes and long white hair, she made quite a contrast to her sister's brighter blond hair and stern ruby eyes. She also seemed to possess a much softer demeanor than her sister that reminded him a bit of Atago.

"So very cute." She couldn't help but run her fingers across his cheeks taking great joy in the soft purr that escaped his throat. "Are you really part Siren?" She asked though it did nothing to stop her gentle stroking.

"Hai, I was created based on data and scraps collected from encounters with Sirens as well as data from all members of the Sakura Empire." He revealed having been given a bit more detail on the circumstances of his birth. "The Commander hopes I will be able to give more insight into the Siren's evolution as well as help push them back for good." He relayed while doing his best not to inch his way closer to the woman mid-explanation.

_Her hands were very soft..._

"How novel, to think such a thing was possible..." Her eyes shined with curiosity before she tempered her emotions back down and stood. "I look forward to working with you in the future then, perhaps my dear elder sister will even join us." She mused, curious to see the small battleship in action. From how Nelson had described him he was quite a force on the battlefield.

Naruto blinked at that little nugget of information, elder sister?

"Ano, is Nelson really your older sister?"

He would have assumed she was older given her temperament. "Are you sure?" He asked sending a slightly disbelieving look towards a still red faced Nelson off in the corner of the room. He could see her glaring at him while nursing a glass of something in her hand, she huffed and looked away when their eyes met though, shrinking in on herself.

Rodney nodded with a teasing smile having witnessed the short exchange. "Haha, yes I am the younger of the two of us." She confirmed. "Many think I am older but that is just my sister's spirited personality working against her." She giggled recalling the many shocked faces that were left from that particular revelation.

_Truly her sister was her own worst enemy at times~_

"Ohhh." He nodded. He supposed that wasn't impossible to believe, Kaga-nee was a lot more patient and level headed than Akagi-nee despite being a bit younger so he guessed that it wasn't that strange.

"Indeed, but if you will excuse me, I shall take my leave for now as I am sure there are many other eager to meet you and it would be rude of me to keep you." She explained noting more than a few faces turned in the direction of their conversation. Honestly, her peers enjoyed gossip far too much but she supposed that was the nature of court intrigue.

Waving goodbye and promising to speak again Naruto watched as the woman returned to her sister's side leaving him once more on his own.

Though not for very long.

"Excuse me? Naruto was it?" A soft yet mature voice called prompting him to turn to face the new arrival, his eyes were drawn immediately to her face as she stepped into his view.

Or at least they would have if his view of her features hadn't been obscured by her chest.

"Um, yes?" He answered but internally he was wondering how she could even stand upright being that top heavy, a strong gust of wind would likely send her tumbling over not that it would do any real damage with such cushioning at her disposal.

"Oh do forgive me, I struggle with distance sometimes." She apologized, taking a few steps back allowing both to finally catch sight of each other's facial features. "This is much better don't you agree~" She chimed offering a practically radiant smile that left him breathless.

"Beautiful…" He whispered. He'd meant to say that internally but his lapse in attention made such efforts rather fruitless.

Dressed in all white the woman standing before his was practically angelic in appearance. She wore a long white silk dress that was just transparent enough for her long shapely legs to be in view underneath garbed in long white stockings and capped with a short skirt underneath. Her bulging chest was bound in a simple but elegant top that left her shoulders bare while her arms were covered well past her forearms by a tight pair of gloves.

Her soft features were framed by a curtain of flowing white hair and kind blue eyes looked down upon him with a mixture of wonderment and curiosity that made blood unconsciously rush to his cheeks. If he thought Kaga-nee was pretty than this woman was practically in a whole other league.

Her eyes fell closed as a beaming smile that somehow eclipsed her prior one made its way onto her face.

"Why thank you! How sweet~" She preened offering a slight bow of gratitude at his unintended compliment and unintentionally pushing bulging her chest out further which only served to worsen his predicament as he struggled to find a safe place to look that didn't awaken strange feelings within him.

_In her office, Mirai was suddenly hit with the feeling that she would have to have a greatly needed and very uncomfortable conversation in the near future._

"Ano… who are you miss?" He asked finally gathering his thoughts enough to seek an introduction.

"Me?" She asked with a puzzled look before she seemed to realize that he would naturally have never heard of her given the circumstances of his birth and softly tapped her cheek in embarrassment. "Ah, forgive my rudeness! My name is Illustrious, armored carrier of the Royal Navy." She introduced with a hint of pride.

"Illustrious…" Her name was unique for sure but he couldn't say it was fitting for such a stunning woman either. "It is nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine! I am aware this is very sudden but would you walk with me for just a moment? I would like to get to know you a bit more while I get settled in if that would be acceptable?" She asked, reaching out to take his hand if he accepted which he did with little hesitation to her delight as she began leading him through the room.

The two made quite a pair with Illustrious asking him all sorts of questions regarding his time on the base, his thoughts on the Royal Navy so far, and some of his personal relations. He answered as best he could but also couldn't help but notice the less than subtle looks being sent their way as she led him through the large gathering, only pausing to offer a few quick greetings in passing before whisking him away elsewhere before he had time to process it.

He inwardly marveled at her ability to shrug off such blatant staring but chalked it up to her perhaps being used to it, especially given his own reaction to meeting her.

"Ah, if only little Unicorn was here I think you two would make wonderful friends." She giggled having gotten a decent grasp of his personality in their brief talk. "Perhaps I should arrange something in the future, maybe an outing with the rest of her group~" She mused aloud.

There would no doubt be a bevy of picturesque moments for her to capture and she quite enjoyed outings with her dear sister.

"Unicorn? Who is that?" He asked.

"Unicorn is my little sister. She is a sweetheart but she's a bit shy when it comes to meeting new people." She explained while finally ending their little walk. "But I think such a polite and charming young man such as yourself could get through to her with no trouble~" She praised causing him to shrink into his cloak slight at the compliment.

"Ah, if you honestly think so." He admitted that after his encounter with Nelson and Rodney he was rather curious to see what the little sister of someone like Illustrious was like. Would she be just like her sister or would she be the complete opposite?

"So modest." She smirked and took a seat prompting him to climb up next to her the pair watching the mingling guests in comfortable silence for a few minutes simply enjoying one another company before she spoke up again shifting her sight to a particular individual watching their interaction from a distance.

"By any chance have you yet had the pleasure of meeting her Majesty?" She asked suddenly causing him to snap out of his thoughts to answer her.

"Not yet no, Belfast didn't tell me what she looked like and I haven't had the chance to meet everyone yet." He answered.

"How unlike her, or perhaps that was intentional." She mused muttering that last bit to herself before standing from her seat and once more taking his hand in hers. "Come, let us pay her Majesty a visit~" She declared suddenly, making her way once more across the room with him in tow.

…

"Warspite she is coming right for us!" Elizabeth fretted her eyes narrowed upon the one woman who served as perhaps the greatest insult to her position as Queen. The mammary monster stepped ever closer no doubt fully aware of how the sway of her body made her most defining features ever more prominent as if that was needed. "And she's entrapped the siren boy with her sinful body as well, has she no shame?!"

Such frightening power… one that should belong to her damn it!

"Your Majesty I do not think that is necessarily true..." Warspite sighed trying her hardest not to allow her queen's ravings to affect her too much. "Miss Illustrious would never do something so uncouth." She noted. Granted underneath that kindly exterior Illustrious was actually quite devious but that little bit of information would likely not do much to calm her Queen.

"Never underestimate those devilish succubi Warspite." She warned before quickly adopting a neutral expression as the duo approached, her falling into a half-lidded state of disinterest as was fitting for one of her status.

"Oh, Illustrious you are here… I'm happy to see you could make it." She greeted offering a strained smile towards the carrier who was either seemingly ignorant to the forced nature of her greeting or uncaring of it, merely offering one of her famed smiles in return.

"Of course, it would be terribly rude of me to miss out on such a gathering especially with such an interesting guest present." She answered before turning to Warspite and offering a slight bow in greeting. "Hello Madam Warspite, I hope you are enjoying yourself as well?"

Warspite smiled and bowed back in respect for the carrier. "While I do not think one such as I am suited to such delicate affairs I do enjoy seeing our comrades mingling so freely. It is a pleasure to see you in such high spirits as well."

"Blame it on having such good company~" She chirped resting her hands upon her tag along shoulders. "Young Naruto has been kind enough to indulge my curiosity with such charm that I can't help but find myself enraptured." She explained unconsciously resting her chest upon his head due to the difference in their heights causing his cheeks to flush once again and Elizabeth to quietly grind her teeth in annoyance at the perceived shot to her pride.

"I see." She ground out

"Your Majesty…" Warspite sent a look towards her Queen that did little to stall her twitching but kept her from throwing a fit.

Illustrious smiled innocently and spared a quick glance around the room before bringing a gloved hand up to her mouth to hide a smirk. "Oh dear, there is something I need to discuss with Madam Hood so I beg you to excuse me for one moment. Naruto would you be a dear a keep her Majesty and Madam Warspite company in my stead?"

Not precisely understanding the reason for her abrupt departure he still nodded regardless prompting her to make a polite but swift exit leaving the trio of battleships on their own.

…

"Ano… It is nice to meet you." He greeted realizing that he'd not formally introduced himself. "Thank you for allowing me to join you today." He said bowing respectfully towards the Queen and her attendant. His words seemingly snapping the duo out of their trance, their eyes leaving the now mingling form of Illustrious to focus back on him. Something that they'd somewhat neglected since his arrival.

Warspite instinctually found herself slightly on edge at his presence, she may have been the one who detests war but she was a warrior at her core and being so close to a figure that donned the colors of the enemy triggered that tick in the back of her mind. However, she was not without reason and so would withhold judging him too harshly.

He had helped three of their own so she owed him that at least.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Belfast spoke very highly of you in her report." She answered offering him a nod of acknowledgment. "She also mentioned you are a fellow battleship, it pleases me to meet another of our own. I also hear you are quite strong, I do hope I am granted the chance to see your combat ability firsthand."

His eyes lit up slightly at that little tidbit, it wasn't often he got to meet others within his own class. He had only briefly met a few of the Sakura Empires Battleships but those meetings had been few and far between, sadly.

"That's exciting… would you like to spar with me sometime?" He asked hopefully.

He had developed an urge to push himself after his first less than fulfilling sortie, Kaga had been content to humor him but he'd never tested himself against another of comparable firepower to himself.

Warspite smirked at the fire that appeared in those blue eyes of his upon hearing his request, it seemed that despite his size he was a fellow warrior at heart. She could respect that and she would not pass up a chance to test herself against his steel.

"I would be honored to test myself against you, perhaps we can set up some war games between the Royal Navy and the Sakura Empire in the near future." She suggested, it wasn't uncommon for the different factions to do this so she saw no harm in it. "Just know I won't be holding back against you so I expect you to treat me with the same respect."

"Hai, I will do my best!"

From the sidelines Elizabeth watched the two interact with a slight pout, she was being completely ignored! Her! The Queen of the most powerful navy in the world!

Ignoring this grave insult to her pride she took a moment to inspect the male much more thoroughly and she had to fight the slight feeling of kinship that bubbled up within her. Excluding Warspite it was rare for a Kansen of their… smaller stature to be manifested as battleships, there were many powerful and renowned battleships within their walls but they were the exceptions. Of course, she was also struck by the glowing spatterings of yellow that dotted his attire that signaled the truth of Belfast's report.

The Commander really had created a Siren…

She didn't know how to feel about that, on one had the risk were plainly obvious to everyone but at the same time, it was a breakthrough that couldn't be understated. She would need to speak with the woman about doing such things without at least informing them but the results were speaking for themselves in the form the blond conversing with her attendant.

Her eyes wandered idly to his and she was struck by how rich a shade of blue his were. Her own eyes were more of a milky blue but his reminded her of the seas, an endless expanse that could swallow all within their sight. There was also none of the cruelty or apathy present in his gaze that she'd witnessed in her past battles with the Sirens and instead she found kindness, curiosity, and excitement. She was reminded of her sisters in arms much more so than any Siren which did soften her defenses ever so slightly.

Her gaze moved to his odd cheek markings where she remained fixated for a moment, while animalistic features were not anything special among the Sakura Empire she had never seen any of them sporting genuine whiskers. They moved so naturally with his speech that any idea of them being fake were tossed out and she couldn't deny that she felt a strong urge to simply reach out and see how the felt…

Of course, she would never embarrass herself by doing such a thing! A queen had to be dignified at all times and carry herself with the utmost grace after all!

…

"Your Majesty… I think this might be a breach of authority..."

"Eh?" She blinked as she realized that perhaps she'd been a bit too into her thoughts that her body had attacked without her prompting. Her face lit up as she recognized the position she'd found herself in.

Her fingers had unconsciously found themselves lightly running over his markings, the light material surrounding her digits doing little guard her from feeling the texture of his facial markings. Absentmindedly she noted that they seemed like actual grooves in his face but that thought took a back seat to the main source of her discomfort and embarrassment.

_Just when had he gotten so close to her and just what in God's name was she doing?!_

The pair were now hovering mere inches away from one another and she became very cognizant of his eyes boring unflinchingly into hers in an impromptu staredown that left her feeling lightheaded at his intensity. Despite her embarrassment, she felt a flash of disbelief seeing that he looked no worse for wear! Did he not realize how improper this was?! How they must look to the rest of her court?! She sputtered as she hastily removed her hand as though she'd been burned and hoped to God that he would take the hint and move away.

Unfortunately for her, no such thing happened and If anything he had the nerve to look disappointed and step even deeper into her personal space much to her growing unease and distress!

"Why'd you stop?" He asked, frowning and feeling slightly annoyed that she'd stopped her ministrations. The fine material of her gloves having sent a pleasant tingling down his spine that he wished to experience further. "Keep going." He insisted seemingly unbothered by the whole affair.

He was a simple boy, as long as he was being spoiled any other concerns flew out the window.

Warspite could only let out a weary sigh as a chorus of whispers broke out among the now very interested groups who were all watching the proceedings with various levels of scandalous amusement. From her position, she was forced to realize that the pair actually looked rather intimate from a distance and already she could hear the rumors spreading like wildfire that their Queen had taken on some sort of consort or other such nonsense.

This was going to end poorly...

"**B-BAKA WHY ARE YOU SO CLOSE?! B-BACK UP AT ONCE!"**

Towards the back of the room, Belfast and Illustrious stood side by side, matching smiles gracing their faces as their Queen began yet another one of her glorious meltdowns. Did they feel a bit bad for their Queen? Yes, in fairness they knew that this was going to haunt the halls with conversations for weeks to come. However, Did they regret their actions?

_Absolutely not._

* * *

**AN. Chapter Complete!**

**So chapters are taking me a bit longer due to finals prep but I am trying to take the time that I can to work on each of my stories so do bear with me. I will likely be working on "The Hero's Journey" next so not sure when the next chapter of this will go up (it's also why this chapter might feel a bit chaotic since that's the kind of mood I'm in so sorry about that!) but in the meantime, there are others who are trying their hand at this crossover so I encourage you to give those a read if you haven't already!**

**Anyway I hope this chapter came out okay, it took me a while to realize just how many girls are in the Royal Navy and even though I did try and limit the number there were still way more than I would have done but at least a few got through. The rest will come in waves over time, I know I want to have him and Hood sit down for a talk and I would love to write a little bit with someone like Ajax.**

**Can the sadist be tamed? Who knows lol.**

**If your favorite RN girl wasn't here don't worry I do plan to have Naruto working with the Royals fairly often so we'll see a lot of them. What his relationship will be with them is up in the air for now though, depends on the girl. Anyway, we saw some familiar faces and some new ones, Nelson and Belfast obviously returned and got a bit of fleshing out. Belfast will have her own moments since I do want Naruto to meet the maids in less crowded space (mainly so I can have my favorite RN girl Sheffy have her moment) and Nelson will have her time to be super Tsundere as well.**

**As for the new girls, Rodney just made sense to introduce with Nelson and since I am actually currently using her in-game right now I thought it would be fun to put her in as a counter to Nelson's personality. Illustrious also shows up and I tried to lean into my own first impressions of seeing her. Mainly being that she became my favorite ship for a looonnggg time. Not just for her hull thickness but her personality and voice lines just made me laugh as she walked the line of being very sweet and playful to almost scary at times. She also seems to have caught Naruto's eye, perhaps a young boy's first crush? **

**Who is to say in the end.**

**Warspite I want to flesh out in having her become something of a mentor to him and their relationship will grow as they interact more in the coming chapters. With so many characters I decided to hold off with her just for the moment, even though I am very fond of her (I have retrofitted her)**

**Lastly, we have none other than QE! I adore Queen Elizabeth and the Queen's Orders manga only made that worse. I wanted to capture a lot of her personality here in that she can be very rational and dedicated when she needs/wants to be but at the same time is also very susceptible to her own pride and impulses. I do look forward to having the Queen of the lolis and Naruto interacting often going forward.**

**Again, I want to see about doing chapters in the future that have Naruto sitting one on one with another character rather than group settings where I have to move between a ton of characters.**

**Last up is a question I have gotten a few times that I want to address now. This is about whether or not Naruto will ever manifest himself fully in ship form and the answer to that is currently up in the air. As of present, I have no plans for it because I fully admit I was/am working more off what I know from the game than the Anime or other material. That is not to say it could never happen but it is a backburner idea for right now.**

**Anyway, that's enough out of me, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you all again at some point!**

**New AL Ships Featured:**

**Rodney**

**Illustrious**

**Warspite**

**Queen Elizabeth**


	7. Little Butler

_**-Last Chapter-**_

_Warspite could only let out a weary sigh as a chorus of whispers broke out among the now very interested groups who were all watching the proceedings with various levels of scandalous amusement. From her position, she was forced to realize that the pair actually looked rather intimate from a distance and already she could hear the rumors spreading like wildfire that their Queen had taken on some sort of consort or other such nonsense._

_This was going to end poorly..._

_"**B-BAKA WHY ARE YOU SO CLOSE?! B-BACK UP AT ONCE!"**_

_Towards the back of the room, Belfast and Illustrious stood side by side, matching smiles gracing their faces as their Queen began yet another one of her glorious meltdowns. Did they feel a bit bad for their Queen? Yes, in fairness they knew that this was going to haunt the halls with conversations for weeks to come. However, Did they regret their actions?_

_Absolutely not._

_**~Present~**_

"You are doing a great job Naruto, but remember to keep your focus up."

He nodded with a crease in his brow as he dedicated his attention solely to the task before him. Bright blues eyes narrowed in deep concentration while slight beads of sweat dripped down his brow at the tinge of anxiousness that currently gripped his heart.

"Remember it only takes mere seconds to ruin a perfectly good batch of cookies." Belfast lectured but smiled merrily to herself at the utterly adorable face the boy was making as he stirred the doughy mixture he'd created in his tiny bowl. Little splatters of flour and sugar caked his cheeks only adding to the contrast of his serious expression even with such a menial task. "Be firm with the mixing but don't put too much strength into mixing or you'll risk frothing it."

"Hai, firm but gentle..." He repeated, easing up on his stirring and earning a pleased hum from the silver-haired maid who oversaw his efforts while mixing her bowl of soon to be delectable delights. The pair of them moving about the kitchen like a master and her student while Belfast explained the finer points of baking.

Meanwhile, the other maids could only watch on in a mixture of exasperation and bemusement at the increasingly frequent sight of the duo working in the kitchens, Belfast had taken it upon herself to teach the boy how to cook at his request and the two were often seen working up quite a sweat over some new project.

It wasn't all that surprising given how renowned her cooking and baking skills were among the various factions and apparently the boy had quite the sweet tooth so it hadn't taken him much time to seek her out for lessons.

Of course, none of them were particularly bothered at the youth's presence if they were being honest finding his seemingly never-ending curiosity and willingness to help rather endearing. He'd only come into their lives a few weeks ago but already his whiskered visage was a common sight within their ornate halls, often found wandering through their many galleries or out in the gardens just enjoying nature. When he wasn't with Belfast then he was often found in the company of either Illustrious or the Queen who had taken a public stance of reluctance to his attendance.

Rumors, however, suggested that their Queen may have nursed a quiet affection for the boy but none would dare say such things out loud for fear of her wrath. That didn't stop it from becoming a favorite topic of discussion during moments of privacy thought.

"What are you two doing?"

Suffolk and Kent flinched at the sound of the dreaded second in command of their renowned maid service, the only woman who could claim to rival the skills of the head maid herself and the self-appointed enforcer of order. They felt shivers go down their spines as narrowed amber eyes stared them down expectancy with each sending each other looks of fear as they hastily sputtered excuse after excuse before hurriedly taking off down the hall like the devil herself was on their trail.

Not to say that the comparison was entirely inaccurate.

"Tsk… I will have to deal with those two at a later date." She scoffed while stepping into the kitchen, the soft click of her heels echoing off the hard tile flooring announcing her presence to the working pair, two sets of eyes turning to see who'd entered their workspace.

"Sheffy!"

Naruto beamed excitedly at the sight of the short-haired woman and carefully set down his bowl to make his way over to the stone-faced second in command, quickly burying his face into her apron while snaking his arms around her waist in a tight hug. "I missed you, it's been forever..." He chirped through his words were slightly muffled by her dress.

Sheffield merely blinked slowly at the extra addition to her person before carefully removing his arms from her waist and swiftly kneeling, bringing herself to eye level with the young boy. "Naruto, please do not dirty my uniform." She chided sternly while pulling out a handkerchief and gently wiping away the smudges of flour from his cheeks. "And I saw you yesterday, you do not need to exaggerate."

He pouted at her dismissal but did not resist her cleaning efforts allowing her to wipe away the excess sugar dust from his face. he just wished she would be more gentle about it…

"I am not… you only saw me for like five minutes!" He whined before crying out as she pinched his nose between her fingers in annoyance giving him a frosty glare as he struggled to get out of her grip. Comically large tears running down his cheeks as she shook her head from side to side.

"Do not complain, my duties are very important and must be handled promptly." She said dryly not easing up on her punishment until she was sure he'd learned his lesson sufficiently. "If you have time to complain then you can assist me today." She offered.

"Do I have to wear the suit?" He asked tentatively rubbing his sore nostrils as he did so. Seeing that he enjoyed helping out around the dorms some of the girls had commissioned him his own working outfit much to his chagrin but he'd accepted the gift nonetheless out of gratitude for the effort.

He made for an adorable sight but much to their quiet annoyance he rarely donned the uniform if he could help it and to date, only a select few had even caught him wearing it.

"Yes." She droned but there was a slight hint of anticipation in her voice that anyone unfamiliar with her would be hard-pressed to catch. "If you are to work by my side you must be presentable by the standards of her Majesty."

"But it's so stuffy!" He huffed crossing his arms stubbornly. "I like my cloak better…"

"Then you can stay with Belfast and I shall attend to my duties on my own." She said quickly standing and turning on her heel ignoring his pouting face. "If necessary I shall simply get someone else-"

"No! I will help!" He shouted quickly cutting off that line of thought and once more burying his face into her leg to prevent her from walking off without him. "J-Just don't laugh at me when I put it on!" He demanded.

"I will do no such thing but first you will finish your baking with Belfast." She instructed earning a pleased smile from the boy at her reassurance, the wideness of his grin forcing his eyes closed reminding them of a small cat or perhaps a young fox.

Off to the side Bel couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction between the two. For those unfamiliar with the frigid nature of her right hand, they might have regarded her seemingly quick dismissal of his affection as callous but she knew her old friend better than that. The ever so slight quirk of her lips and the softening of her gaze was proof enough that her second in command wasn't nearly as cold as she might first appear.

Their relationship was almost comical given their first meeting...

_**-Flashback-**_

_"Your Majesty please don't forget you have a meeting with the Commander at three, please do not make any plans for that time slot." Bel noted while calmly pouring her Queen a cup of tea which Elizabeth took gratefully. "Warspite will be here shortly to accompany you as usual._

_"Thank you Bel, splendid work as always." Elizabeth nodded in recognition of her efforts and sent her maid a grateful smile for the tea as well as her service. _

_Bel smiled and bowed in appreciation. "It is the duty of a maid, but as always your praise is far too kind~ " She answered swiftly making her way around the table to gather one of the many arrays of snacks for her Queen._

_What would it be today... maybe a nice pair of crepes, or maybe some scones? Her Queen was also fond of tarts so perhaps that would be best. Let it never be said her Majesty lacked options in the snacking department._

_Elizabeth sighed contently while sipping her tea, her gaze drifting idly out to her courtyard where she could oversee her subjects going about their duties. Their peaceful faces bringing a warm comfort to her chest, a Queen she may be but she loved her subjects with all her heart._

_Not that she would say that to them, they were far too cheeky to deserve such open praise. The image of a very smug and top-heavy carrier coming to mind causing her eye to briefly twitch in annoyance before she brought herself under control._

_She would not give that woman even the slightest satisfaction of getting under her skin today. _

_*Knock, Knock*_

_Her concentration was then shattered by the sound of polite but firm tapping of knuckles on wood echoed through her chamber causing her to turn her head to the doorway in curiosity, had Warspite arrived earlier than expected?_

_"May I get the door, your Majesty?" Bel asked easily halting her prior tasks to begin making her way towards the entrance already knowing the answer but protocol dictating that she engage with the redundant question nonetheless._

_"Of course." _

_Bel nodded and with nary a breath of exertion swiftly open the thick mahogany doors allowing their unexpected visitor to step inside, the soft click of her heels accompanied by a soft but still reverential greeting._

_"Good afternoon my Queen, Miss Belfast." Sheffield greeted dryly. "Please do forgive my interruption but there is something that requires your immediate attention." She informed her amber eyes shifting between the pair as the head maid and Queen sent their own looks of curiosity towards the silver-haired maid._

_Specifically, the wiggling sack that was slung over her shoulder._

_"I see…" Elizabeth blinked owlishly at the sight but knew that Sheffield was not one to waste their time with trivial matters. "What is the problem exactly?" She asked unsure if she wanted to know._

_"I was doing my usual patrols of the premises, ensuring the other maids had not slacked off in my temporary absence and came across what I believe to be an agent sent to undermine the strength of your Navy." Sheffield explained drawing incredulous looks from the Queen and a concerned glance from Bel. "I was able to subdue the spy and have brought them to you at their behest."_

_Bel raised a delicate eyebrow at that bit of information. "The agent wished to speak with her Majesty specifically?" She asked finding such a thing highly suspicious. While her Queen held almost absolute power over the Royal Navy it was the Commander who technically outranked her._

_It would make much more sense for a spy to wish to see her over their Queen._

_Sheffield nodded._

_"Yes and while I loathe putting our beloved Queen in any danger the spy was rather amicable to surrendering and so I found it at least reasonable to hear out their request." She explained simply. _

_"And the sack?..." Elizabeth asked sending very blatant glances at the still moving bundle upon her shoulder. Why had Sheffield not just escorted their intruder here if they had been so willing to surrender themselves?_

_"..." Sheffield was quiet for a few moments before finally explaining herself. _

_"Ease of transportation." She reasoned ignoring the deadpanned looks the two sent her way. How was carrying someone easier than having them walk?!_

_"May I meet this supposed 'spy'" She asked trying hard not to get a migraine at the antics of her subjects. There was nothing wrong with having a few quirks but sometimes things got far too out of hand._

_Sheffield nodded and quickly slung the sack over her shoulder before dropping it with a soft thud onto the floor in front of them before quickly pulling out her gun and aiming it squarely at the now shifting._

_"Come out and make no sudden moves, you are in the presence of her Majesty." She intoned coldly causing the person within the sack to halt their struggling for a brief moment before at last with some effort a bound and gagged figure slowly emerged from the opening._

_One that both Bel and Elizabeth were very familiar with._

_"Naruto?!"_

_**-Flashback End-**_

After quickly freeing the poor boy, who honestly hadn't been all that concerned with his abrupt abduction in the first place, they hastily explained his situation to their comrade who promptly apologized for acting in such haste. Thankfully the blond wasn't one to hold grudges and with the promise of a few snacks and a bit of pampering from all parties involved, including the Queen who demanded they _never _speak of the incident _ever_, they had managed to buy his silence.

What they hadn't expected, however, was for him to take such a keen interest in the frosty maid which had led to a week of amusing circumstances of the boy practically stalking Sheffield for hours until the maid had simply had enough of the games and once again held him at gunpoint demanding he state his intentions for following her.

He had naturally floundered a bit at being caught but rather than being intimidated he seemed rather pleased to have her attention. His answer was a bit roundabout but it had boiled down to a simple truth, one that Sheffield hadn't really been expecting upon cornering him.

He honestly just thought she was, in a single word, _cool._

More specifically, he admired the way she carried herself, the cold air that seemingly followed in her every step and her no-nonsense way of handling problems was just fascinating to him and he wanted to learn how to be like that so he followed her. She had naturally questioned him as to why he hadn't just approached her directly.

He replied that he wanted to see her more naturally, to try and understand her on his own without help.

She wasn't sure what Sheffield's response was, at the moment the stoic woman had not answered the boy's confession or rather had not done so publicly instead beckoning him to follow after her, away from the prying eyes of onlookers.

Whatever the outcome she could only assume it had turned out positive given the two appeared much closer than before, with Naruto actively seeking her out during his visits and Sheffield's tolerance of his presence during her working hours. She'd also noticed that Sheffield, despite her nearly emotionless facade, was rather protective towards him and often tried to steer him clear of the more… extreme members of their little family.

So long as the two of them were happy that was enough for her but she did admit to feeling an occasional gnawing curiosity to discover the depth of their dynamic. If only to tease her friend from time to time~

"Bel-nee are we going to continue?" He asked breaking her from her thoughts, causing her to blush slightly at having been caught spacing out. She idly wondered if this was how her dear Edinburgh felt, perhaps she would need to be a bit kinder to her sister in the future.

"Ah, sorry~" She quickly made her way back over to finish their lesson. "So after we finish mixing the next step is to…"

_For now, though she had a student to teach._

...

"Do I really have to wear the tie?…" He asked quietly, trying his hardest not to cave to his instincts and rip the confining piece of cloth off and toss it out the nearest window. True to her word Sheffield had allowed him to join her in her duties but he would need to present himself in a manner befitting of his temporary position.

A fancy way of saying he was going to need to dress up in this monkey suit.

"Of course." Sheffield said looking over her handiwork while Naruto shifted in place in his new clothing. "To fully appreciate the work of the Royal maids you should naturally introduce yourself to their struggles and procedures." She lectured while quickly straightening out his suit and fixing up the untamed mess that was his hair.

"If you say so." He pouted while looking over at himself in the nearby mirror.

Gone were his usual black cloak and shorts and in their places was a well made all black suit, complete with black tie and polished black dress shoes. Underneath his blazer was a simple white button-up dress shirt that was tucked neatly into his pants. Sheffield had done her best to fix up his hair but to no avail, the spiky mass that was his blond locks simply refusing to be contained by any manner of hair gels or combs so despite his dress he maintained a bit of his wild appearance.

"I look like a penguin." He noted dryly flapping his arms a bit to prove his point and earning a brief chuckle from the amber-eyed woman looking over him. They were in the privacy of Sheffield's room which was the sole reason such a sound was allowed to pass her lips so easily. It was the one place she was comfortable enough to let down her guard.

She had an appearance to maintain after all.

"There is nothing wrong with that." She quipped ignoring the indignant look he sent her way in favor of fixing up her uniform after their little kitchen encounter. "But if it would please you to hear, I think you look very handsome in it." She praised, missing the slight flush of his cheeks at the blunt compliment as she was slightly preoccupied with her own needs.

He'd never been called handsome before.

Quickly composing himself before she could see he decided that if she thought he looked okay then it probably wasn't nearly as bad as he thought. He wondered what Kaga-nee and Akagi-nee would say, would they like his clothes? Maybe he would wear it back later and see what they thought.

If he didn't end up making a mess of them first anyway.

"What are we going to be doing today?" He asked, having spent a fair amount of time in the presence of the Royals, he already had a fair idea of the day to day duties of a maid or butler in his case, but the specifics were not known to him.

"Nothing too difficult." She answered checking herself over one last time in her mirror before turning her attention back to him. "We will simply be making our way through the dorms to ensure that everything is up to standard and offering our aid if need be or requested by her Majesty or her court." She said detailing their duties for the day. Thankfully things had been rather lax lately so they were not very busy.

He nodded, that sounded fair enough he already was used to helping around the Sakura Dorms so this would probably just be more of the same.

"Are you ready?" She asked. "Remember you are currently part of her Majesty's most trusted force so I expect you not to slack off or I will punish you." She informed prompting him to straighten up adopting what he hoped looked like a proper posture that conveyed his seriousness though it was dulled a bit by his usual bored expression.

"Hai."

"Very good, let us begin."

_**\- First Stop: The Royal Ballroom -**_

Naruto and Sheffield quietly made their way into the first of their many stops for the day in the famed Royal Ballroom. Home to some of the most famed dances and events within Azur Lane and perhaps one of the most elegant rooms he'd ever had the pleasure of witnessing with his own eyes.

Large stained glass windows were grafted along the entire length of the room offering a simply breathtaking view to any who entered the grand hall. Filled to the brim with beautiful artwork and the finest array of flowers there was an almost otherworldly quality to the room, like something out of a romance novel or a storybook. Along the ceiling were ornately designed golden chandeliers that when activated no doubt brought the room to life with dazzling lighting but for now made for beautiful decoration and completing the high-class atmosphere that radiated from the room

In fact, the only things out of place were the lonely two figures currently making their way through the halls in a brief but almost hypnotizing dance. Their golden hair acting like curtains obscuring their faces from view as they swayed two and fro across the polished tiles to the sound of a beat that it seemed only they could hear.

He and Sheffield sat quietly watching the pair for what seemed like hours but in reality, was only a few brief minutes as the two eventually reached the conclusion of their internal song and at last separated with a final bow towards one another before standing tall revealing themselves fully.

"You have not lost a step since our last dance, Hood." The first figure, a tall woman garbed in bright red chuckled, brushing a stray golden lock from her face as she smiled towards her partner. "As always I am in awe of your talent."

"Do not undersell your own grace, Wales." The second woman rebutted with a smile placing a gloved hand upon her chest in amusement. "You are nothing short of a force upon the dancefloor, a talent I've no doubt you've picked up to entertain many of the ladies of her Majesty's court." She teased giggling softly at the scandalized look upon her partner's face.

"How you wound me with such accusations!" She cried in faux despair. "To think you'd view me as such truly burns at my honor." She declared but the grin on her face showed she wasn't offended in the slightest.

"Always so dramatic, you have a talent for showmanship, my dear Wales." Hood chuckled.

"Do you think so? Perhaps I should ask our guests?" Wales teased back turning their attention to the onlooking pair who realized they'd been spotted and made their way over, seeing no reason to sit back any longer.

"Forgive us, Miss Hood, Madam Wales." Sheffield apologized offering a bow in respect of the two veterans. "We were simply making the rounds and could not help but observe your splendid performance, you both are truly exemplars of grace and elegance." She complimented earning a round of laughter from the two women who found her stoic manner of speaking quite amusing.

"There is no need to apologize, perhaps next time you would like to join us." Hood laughed sending an inviting look towards the maid. "I would not be surprised if you proved even more graceful than dear Wales." She joked earning a pout from Wales who sighed dramatically at the teasing sent her way.

"So cruel! Miss Sheffield, I must insist we have a dance immediately so that I may defend my honor." Wales demanded but everyone could see she was only speaking in jest knowing full well the stoic maid would never do such a thing without a direct order. It did nothing to stop her from offering her hand to the woman though.

In true fashion, Sheffield shook her head to decline. "I assure you that I am not one for dancing, I shall leave such things to you and Miss Hood should the occasion arise." She stated but there was a small upward quirk to her lips at the little act being put on before them. There was a reason Wales was so popular among the Royal Navy and even other factions.

She just had that certain charm that made it difficult to resist being pulled into her influence.

"Well then perhaps your young partner would care to join me?" She said turning her attention to Naruto who had remained silent for the most part but was caught off guard by having the spotlight suddenly placed upon him. "Naruto was it? Would you care to join me in a dance?" She offered, she'd of course been present for his introduction but sadly had been unable to speak with him. Over the past few days, she'd been privy to more than a few whispers of the blond that was quickly making a name for himself within their halls and she had to admit her curiosity was peaked.

And now fate had presented her with such an opportunity, she would be foolish not to take it.

"Ano… I've never danced before." He admitted somewhat bashfully, there had never been a reason for him to dance so he wasn't even sure if he could. Not to mention that with the size difference between them, he doubted he could do something nearly as elegant as the performance he'd just witnessed.

Wales was undeterred by the information if anything she seemed to grow even more excited by the prospect.

"All the better!" She exclaimed gently taking his hand and leading him a short distance away from Hood and Sheffield who decided to remain quiet and allow events to unfold on their own. "A true man should know how to sweep a lady off her feet if you do not know how then I shall teach you." She declared.

Overwhelmed slightly by the rather demanding nature of Wales all he could do was allow himself to be led onto the floor where he quickly found his hands gripped within hers, their bodies close but still allowing just enough distance that he could still see their feet with a glance. His attention was mostly focused on her smiling face and he flushed slightly at her charming visage looking down at him.

He wasn't sure how to feel about this, he wasn't even sure how he was supposed to feel about this. She gave off a far different aura than anyone he'd ever met… that wasn't to say he found her unpleasant by any means. Just different.

"Sadly we have no music so we shall begin with the basics. Just follow me and try not to think about it too hard, let the feelings come to you and go from there." She instructed softly taking on a much more reserved tone in her instruction. Within moments she began to sway softly, her hips rocking from side to side to give him an example and he was quick to follow up after her swaying, his own body in unison with her own until they were for the most part matched. Then slowly her steps began, feather-light but purposeful movements that still managed to hold an air of grace in their simplicity and recalling her instruction he allowed himself to move naturally in turn with her movements.

Back and forth the pair weaved slowly discovering their own rhythm and moving to a beat that neither could really hear but rather had to feel within them. Naturally, he stumbled from time to time but she never chided him for his errors, instead slowing her pace to give him time to find his balance once more before they continued their dance. Gradually the distance between them began to close and he found that he could no longer see their feet merely having to trust himself not to step on her and vice versa which cause a brief moment of panic in him. One that was just as swiftly silenced by her confident gaze.

Red eyes sent reassuring glances into blue and he immediately felt himself calming down once more, losing himself in their moment that for a time he forgot they were being watched.

Eventually, their dance had to come to an end and in a move that caught him completely off guard Wales quickly brought him into her arms and dipped him like some kind of fair maiden in a fantasy ball, his gaze coming to rest upon the applauding forms of Hood and Sheffield who were both looking rather amused at the sight.

Blood rushed to his face in embarrassment at the odd position, so caught up in the moment his brain barely processed Wales setting him back upright, it wasn't until her laughter reached his ears that he managed to snap out of his trance quickly shielding his face from view as he desired for the earth to swallow him whole. He wasn't used to this...

Sensing his distress Wales quickly knelt and took his hands once more into her own prompting him to look her way. His cheeks puffed up in a light scowl as he assumed they were all laughing at him but to his surprise, she gave him a charming smile and bowed her head low to him.

"That was excellent my dear boy and I thank you for gifting me your first dance, I will treasure it for the rest of my days." She praised gifting him with a megawatt smile making him huff a bit at her honeyed words but he admitted that he felt a little better now that the laughter had stopped.

"I'm not any good though…" He didn't think he'd done particularly well, thankfully having avoided stepping on her but that wasn't saying much given they had gone fairly slow.

"You are better than you think, just keep practicing." She encouraged giving his cheeks a quick rub and smiling at the soft purr that escaped his throat as she did so. "I will be looking for a second dance with you in the future so you better impress me."

"Hai." He nodded offering her a soft smile in return. "Ah… Thank you for teaching me how to dance." He added realizing that she had technically gone out of her way to do so even though she didn't have to.

"Nonsense, it was my pleasure." She waved off his thanks and the two made their way back over to their spectators who greeted them with faces of approval.

"You two looked absolutely splendid together, dare I say Wales you may have finally found your perfect partner." Hood praised sending a bemused look towards her friend who seemed amused by the prospect.

"Maybe." She acknowledged sending a playful glance at the blond who was now hovering at her side. "What do you think young Naruto? Would you enjoy being my main dance partner?" She asked and the trio were treated to the adorable sight of the boy bashfully tapping his fingers together while trying desperately to fight down the blood rushing to his face at the offer.

"Ano, if that is what you would like then I don't mind…" He muttered causing Prince to chuckle and gently run her fingers through his hair.

"It would be my honor, I will be looking for you at our next gathering then~" She said allowing him to return to Sheffield's side where he quickly made himself comfortable behind her dress much to their collective bemusement.

"Thank you for your time, we still have more work to do so we must be taking our leave but you have my thanks for entertaining young Naruto." Sheffield smiled and offered a brief bow towards the two who reciprocated the gesture.

"Not a problem, you two are always welcome to join us." Hood said offering a polite wave to the pair as the began to make their way out.

"Do return again soon." Wales called out with a wave of her own passing a farewell wink to the boy who smiled and waved farewell in return.

_**\- Second Stop: The Royal Gardens -**_

The next stop on their list was a location he was fairly familiar with, the Royal Gardens. A place of peace and tranquility that was nearly unmatched by anywhere else within the base. Not to mention it was one of the most well cared for areas of the dorm since social gatherings were often held here.

He would admit that he enjoyed the Sakura Empire's garden just a tad bit more but that didn't distract from his enjoyment of the Royals own rendition. His favorite part of the gardens had to be the many rose bushes that dotted the eastern side of the dorms, the vibrant hues of red were just so eye-catching that he'd more often than not found himself visiting it at least once before he left.

"It seems as though Belfast has not neglected the gardens." Sheffield muttered taking her time to inspect the perfect trimmed hedges and the vibrant but well-maintained grass. Not a single blade an inch out of line just as the Queen preferred. "I will need to pass along my compliments for her work."

While she was doing that Naruto had taken it upon himself to visit his favorite part of the garden seeing as he was technically supposed to be making sure everything was on the up and up anyway he didn't think she would mind if he went off on his own for a bit. It didn't take him long to come across the ever stunning sea of red flowers and as always he found his breath halted in his chest at the sight.

He loved the color red, why he wasn't sure but something about this particular shade of crimson just spoke to him. He didn't dwell much on it instead preferring to simply bask in the comforting feelings rather than bother trying to understand them. Sometimes it was better to think with your heart than with your head… or at least that was something Atago had told him during one of their outings and he figured it applied to situations like these.

"Who art thou?"

He blinked as a curious voice made itself known to him and he abruptly found himself staring into a deep pair of rich blood-red eyes that had previously not been present. Their owner seemingly uncaring of things like personal space as he was dressed down by the rather petit figure that had suddenly appeared before him.

Long pure white hair that seemed to be fairly common among the Royals fell her back in two long tails stopping just past her rear and swaying softly in breezy giving her a rather mysterious presence. Ruby red eyes tinged with mischief and curiosity bored unflinchingly into his own with slit black pupils that gave just a hint of danger in contrast to her overall playful appearance.

She wore a rather skimpy red, white, and black outfit that showed off more than a fair bit of skin but still did more than enough to preserve her modesty while still drawing the eye to her curves and pale porcelain skin.

Overall she was quite cute but that did little to distract from the fact she was still up in his face for some reason.

"Are you talking to me?" He asked quizzically.

"I see no one else here and I am looking at you." She quipped back tilting her head in amusement at his silly question before continuing. "So I shall ask again, who art thou?"

"I art Naruto." He said copying her phrase in his answer, he found her way of speaking odd given her appearance. She spoke like she was much older than she appeared.

"I see you have a bit of cheek on you to mock me like that." She scowled but then smiled a devious smile that was rather fitting for her appearance. "I can respect that." She said laughed airily before turning on her heel and walking deeper into the rose bushes. He felt like she was inviting him to follow after her as took her time to explore the beautiful greenery.

Having nothing better to do he decided to accept her silent invitation and for a while, the two of them simply enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by such beauty. At some point, she had begun to hum a soft tune to herself but the melody had quickly sucked him in and he joined her, much to her amusement. It was only after they'd finished the third of many incomprehensive songs that he realized he didn't get her name, having been swept away by her tempo.

_That was becoming a pattern among the Royals he noted._

"Who are you, Miss?" He asked politely remembering that he was technically supposed to be a butler today and that he needed to play the part in favor to Sheffield. "You never told me your name?"

"I was merely waiting for thou to ask." She said but he could hear the mirth in her voice showing that she wasn't angry or at the very least not very much so. "My name is Vampire, V-class destroyer of the Royal Navy." She said turning around lifting the hem of her dress in an overly dramatic curtsy while a playful grin settled itself upon her face.

A destroyer… it made sense given her size but he wasn't one to assume given that he wasn't exactly much bigger than she was.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." He said continuing to follow after her as she made her way through the gardens, her eyes taking in the sights around her but every so often he would catch her turning to glance at him for a few moments before continuing.

"So you have some manners as well." She laughed and paused mid-step turning once more to face him and quickly invading his personal space once more. "Tell me, what art thou doing here? Dost thou simply enjoy nature for nature's sake or perhaps there is another reason you are following this young maiden through the gardens?" She inquired playfully, teasing was in her nature after all~

"I just enjoy the roses, their very beautiful." He admitted without shame, after all that was his honest reason for coming. "I didn't mean to follow you, sorry." He apologized hoping that he hadn't accidentally overstepped his bounds.

"Hmm I suppose you can't be faulted, these roses are simply divine with the color of the finest wine… hmm perhaps that is why I enjoy it so much, it always leaves me in the mood for a drink." She mused aloud taking one of the flowers carefully into her hands and bring it up to her face for a quick sniff.

"Do you drink?" She asked curiously idly wondering if he shared her love for the delicacy that was a fine glass of wine.

"Kaga-nee says I shouldn't, something about developing bad habits." He truthfully didn't get it since she drank fairly often but she was his elder so he just followed her instructions. There wasn't any reason she would lie to him.

"A pity…" She sighed her voice tinged with disappointment. "Should the chance ever present itself you should join me for some wine." She offered mirthfully. "I think you will find it worth your while."

"Maybe…" If she could drink and be okay then maybe it wasn't as bad as Kaga-nee made it out to be? Other than her odd way of talking she seemed fine enough to him.

"Splendid." She cheered before yet more mischief quickly appeared in her eyes and to his shock she suddenly collapsed on the floor without warning, her small form falling abruptly onto the soft grass below. He quickly made his way over to her where she looked upon him with half-lidded eyes, her lips parted slightly as a soft groan of weakness passed through her.

"Are you okay? Do you need help?" He wasn't exactly sure what to do in this situation but to his knowledge, people didn't just suddenly fall over like that. "Should I go get someone?"

"No, no… I just had a bout of weakness, it happens from time to time." She whispered, placing her hand upon his arm in a reassuring gesture. "Please do not worry I will be okay with a bit of rest." She assured but internally smiled at the expression of worry gracing his features.

_How divine~_

"Can I help you in any way?" He offered, not content to just leave her alone even if this was normal for her. He wouldn't leave anyone else like this be it friend or a stranger.

"I do not wish to trouble you… however, if you'd like to help would it be too much to ask that you help me back to the entrance of the garden." She requested sending him a "weak" smile that belied her cunning.

"I can do that." He agreed with no hesitation and quickly managed to place her securely upon his back, his arms looping around her thighs while her arms wrapped themselves around his neck for balance. She was lighter than he was expecting and to be honest he barely noticed the additional weight.

He was however very conscious of her breath tickling his ears sending strange chills down his spine. The same strange feeling he got whenever he found himself cornered by Illustrious. He made a mental note to ask the Commander about these strange sensations when he had the chance.

"How kind of you, thou has my thanks~" She sighed breathily into his ears as they began the walk back to the garden entrance. "I was not aware her Majesty had begun hiring butlers in her employ." She mused resting her head upon his neck and smiling as he flinched ever so slightly at the sensation of her skin against his own but made no move to adjust her.

"I'm just helping out today, I'm not really working for Lizzy." He explained and Vampire had to stop herself from guffawing at the sheer nerve the boy had to refer to the Queen as "Lizzy". Oh, what she wouldn't give to see him say that to her face!

"I-I see." She coughed reigning in her composure as the archway leading to the main exit came into sight and more to the point a certain silver-haired woman could be seen standing with her arms crossed in the doorway.

It appeared like they were about to be in a spot of trouble.

"Where did you run off to Naruto?" She questioned looking over her charge with narrowed eyes. "And why is Miss Vampire riding upon your back like a child?" She added sending the destroyed a chilling gaze knowing that she enjoyed playing far too much for one of her station. The destroyer had some habits she didn't wish to have imprinted on her impressionable tagalong.

Rather than be intimidated Vampire merely offered a far too innocent smile and easily made her way down from her temporary chariot. "Ah, Miss Sheffield how good it is to see you. Naruto here was just helping me make it back to the dorm after a brief fainting spell took me." She explained giving away nothing even as amber eyes bored into her like the glowing round of an AP shell. "We were talking a brief walk through the rose bushes, like myself he appreciates the beauty of a fine vermillion." She explained, sending the boy an amused look as he nodded along with her explanation.

"I see, and I take it you are now perfectly capable of walking on your own." Sheffield said with a slight hint of annoyance that almost went undetected. Key word being _almost_.

"How astute of you Miss Sheffield, _why yes I am~"_ She preened offered a cheeky look towards the head maid before catching everyone off guard and placing a chaste kiss upon Naruto's whiskered cheek, an impish smile gracing her features as her lips left his sun-kissed skin and she sauntered off. Leaving in her wake a perplexed blond and an irritated maid who watched her walk off with a satisfying spring in her step.

"Thank you for your assistance Naruto-kun I am ever so grateful and I do look forward to seeing you again soon." She waved. "Perhaps we can have another _private _moment in the gardens some other time, ne?~" She winked before laughing when a shell blitzed passed her face, Sheffield's scowling visage and smoking gun being the last thing she saw before quickly hurrying to the safety of her room to lay low for a while.

She would be back in time.

...

"You are never to be alone with her again." Sheffield growled stowing her gun with a slight twitch to her brow.

"Ano, buy why no-"

"_Never_."

"Hai…"

Sheffield was scary!

_**\- Final Stop: The Laundry Room -**_

The two of them had spent the rest of the day going from room to room helping where they could and getting to know a few more faces around the dorms before finally making it to the last of their assigned destinations. The laundry room.

It was was a bit anticlimactic ending on such a bland area compared to the beautiful ballroom and breathtaking gardens but he supposed it made sense that a maid would have to eventually do something as tedious as laundry. Baskets of freshly washed clothing and bedsheets were left out waiting to be folded and put away as needed.

"The others have saved us the time of having to wash these ourselves so we need only to fold and deliver these to their owners." Sheffield explained while leading him over to the waiting workload. "Now watch me closely, there is a proper technique to folding that you must master if you wish to avoid wrinkles or unsightly storage." She lectured and began showing him how to fold the different types of clothing and bedding walking him through it step by step.

"Do it like this?" He asked carefully reenacting her movements so that she could review his technique.

"Very good, just like that." She nodded allowing him to do a few more before she was confident that he had a good enough handle it on his own. For a bit over an hour, the two merely stayed like that folding items and putting them away in large baskets while making small talk about the day's events and sharing stories. Sheffield wasn't a gossip by any means but working as a maid had made her privy to some rather entertaining events that she was happy to share with the boy, especially those that pertained to her Queen.

_In her chambers, Elizabeth felt a disturbance, like her Queenly image, was being dragged through the dirt._

With their combined efforts, it did not take long for the pair to finish sorting everything leaving them with only one remaining task. To deliver each basket to their rightful owner, each basket was marked with a room number and they decided to split the task between them taking three each.

"Just knock on the door and deliver the basket, if no one answers leave it by their door for them." Sheffield said as they made their way up the stairs with baskets in hand.

"Okay, knock and deliver." He repeated.

With all their baskets moved up to the first floor Sheffield left him to work on his own as she continued up to the next level to handle her own delivery. Picking up the first basket he read the number aloud to himself.

"Room #132?" He muttered and nodded, grabbing the handles and making his way down the halls counting the rooms numbers to himself as he searched for his delivery destination. It took some time but eventually, he managed to figure out the layout of the rooms and found himself standing in front of a large wooden door with a gold plated panel with the numbers 132 carved into it.

Knocking on the door he waited for a few moments as the sound of walking could be heard from the other side before at last, the door swung open revealing its single occupant who peered out from inside.

"Hello? Who is... WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

The door slammed shut abruptly and Naruto blinked at the rather volatile response before knocking again. "Ano, Nel-chan please open the door." He requested having caught a glimpse of the busty battleship before the door had been closed. He almost didn't recognize her without outfit but it seemed she was enjoying a day off having adopted a simple baggy red shirt and black shorts that showed off her legs.

"Go away!" She yelled.

"But I have your clothes, Sheffy-nee helped me fold them up for you." He explained setting the bin down by the door. "Would you please take them?" He asked kindly waiting patiently for her to open up once more.

"..." The door opened ever so slightly and Nelson's annoyed face could be seen glaring out from the crack her eyes falling upon the neatly folded articles of her clothing that proved he wasn't lying about being here to deliver her items. With a sigh she huffed and opened the door quickly reaching out and grabbing it, dragging it inside while making sure to block any view of her room from his curious gaze.

"Thanks, I guess…" She huffed turning her face to the side to hide the red on her cheeks at her behavior. She thought it had been her sister and so she hadn't thought twice about opening the door not even thinking about her casual dress.

"You're welcome!" He beamed giving her a little bow as he'd been taught to do which only caught her off guard as she finally noticed his new attire and felt something in her chest tighten at the sight. He looked rather… charming.

"R-Right!" She quickly closed the door again. "U-Um I am in the middle of something s-so go away now!"

He tilted his head curiously at her change in attitude but chalked it up to Nel just being her usual self and nodded. "Okay, bye Nel-chan!" He waved at the door and quickly made his way back not knowing that as he left Nelson once more peeked out from her room and watched him go. A bright dusting of red coating her cheeks as she watched him round the corner.

…

"So… are little boys your type or is it just him?"

Nelson felt her pride sink like a stone as the bemused image of her dear sister appeared in the doorway across from hers, Rodney's smirking visage told her that she was not going to be living this down any time soon…

"S-SHUT UP IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

…

Next up on his list of delivers was number 106, this one didn't take him very long to find since he recalled passing it on his way during his first stop. Making his way once more in front of a tall wooden door her firmly tapped his gloved knuckles upon the wood and waited.

For a moment it seemed like no one would answer and he was about to simply leave the clothing behind when the door suddenly opened and a young woman stepped into view. Dark pink eyes studied his face intently and caught off guard by the almost predatory gleam that lit up in those rosy orbs.

"Well hello~" Her voice was soft but there was a teasing nature to it like she knew something he didn't even with just a greeting. "Are you perhaps here to deliver my clothes?" She questioned with a smile.

"Yes, Ma'am." He said holding out her basket. "These are for you."

"Why thank you~" She took the bin from him and placed them within her room before turning back to him. "Would you care to tell me who you are little one, I don't think I've seen someone so cute working here before." She said leaning over and cupping his face in her hands to inspect him closer.

He shuddered slightly at the sensation of her fingers upon his face but didn't deny her request. "I am Naruto, I am Sheffield's helper for the day." He introduced quietly having zoned out slightly as she began to stroke his whiskers drawing a pleased purr from his throat.

"Ah, you are that Naruto…" She whispered, more to herself than him as she continued her ministrations. "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you and I do hope you and I will have more time to… get to know each other." She said cheerfully but there was an undertone to her words that fortunately went undetected by him.

"Thank you, Miss…"

"Ajax, that is my name." She introduced turning away and stepping back into her room. "Do feel free to come and see me any time, I would enjoy the company."

He made a mental note and nodded causing her smile to widen as she watched him walk off to continue his duties. Twirling a lock of her hair she couldn't help the sinful shudder that ran down her spine at the thought of what she could do with such an innocent boy.

"It seems like I might have a new little _piggy _to play with~"

…

"Alright, that just leaves this last one." He said with a smile, happy to have completed his task without issue, he knew Sheffy-nee would be proud to know that he could be trusted with important work. "Let's see... this one goes to room #144. That's not too far from Nel-chan's room!" He gathered the basket and hastily made his way back over to the hall that he'd been in prior, passing by the now familiar sights he swiftly found his way to his last destination.

"142… 143… 144!" He chirped and without missing a beat gently knocked on the wooden door. "Delivery!" He called out and waited patiently for an answer doing a mental countdown in case they weren't present.

"Coming, one moment!"

He hummed in acknowledgment and waited, the sound of locks clicking barely catching attention as he waited for the door to open…

_**-With Sheffield-**_

"That is odd, I thought I gave this bin to Naruto…" She paused before her eyes widened and she broke into a sprint her gun flashing into her hand as she leaped over the railing and allowed herself to freefall down to the first floor rolling as she hit the ground and keeping her pace. Her eyes scanned the numbered door frantically while she grit her teeth. She'd meant to have him deliver bin #145, but she'd given him bin #144.

Sending him right to possibly the worst fate that could befall him…

Not bothering to knock she kicked the door in and barged in with gun drawn and ready to fire. "Where is he?" She hissed holding the rooms sole occupant at gunpoint in her bed. "Speak now and I might not shoot you."

Ark Royal held her hands up as she was left at the mercy of the cold maid, her eyes locked onto the maid's pistol that was uncomfortably close to her face. "I-I don't know who y-your talking about!" She cried yelping as Sheffield brought the barrel of her gun ever closer.

"Blond, blue eyes, unnaturally cute, wearing a tuxedo, where is he?" She repeated but once more her hostage sent her a blank look.

"I r-really don't know! Please let me go!" She whimpered.

Sheffield glared hard at the suspicious carrier before scoffing and holstering her gun and straightening out her dress. "I see… perhaps he has not yet made it here. Forgive me I will take my leave now." She apologized and without a word exited the room closing the door behind her leaving a shaking Ark Royal to blink in confusion.

Before a smirk made its way onto her face and she quickly lifted the sheets revealing a waiting Naruto who was merely confused by the events occurring.

"Ano… is this part of the game?" He asked curiously as Ark shifted him into her lap hugging him to her body like a life-sized teddy bear. Her face left in an expression of pure bliss as she buried her face into his hair inhaling the scent of such youthful innocence~

"Hehehehe, o-of course it's very important that this stays a secret!" She whispered running her hands over his baby soft skin with a mewl of pleasure and he nodded allowing her to spoil him as she wished. She seemed like a nice enough lady, he was worried that she might be a bit sick with how red she was but she assured him she was "at the height of satisfaction", whatever that was supposed to mean.

He wasn't sure what kind of game this was either but he didn't really mind it all that much, it was kinda like how Akagi-nee would hold him from time to time then Kaga-nee would yell at her.

"U-Um, w-would you mind trying s-some outfits I have on?" She asked stumbling over her words as she continued to breathe in his scent. "I-I think they'll fit you w-well!" She stuttered her voice labored as if burdened.

"Ah… okay." He shrugged, he didn't really have a problem with it.

…

"Like this?" He asked.

"Y-Yes just like that!" She squealed a bright flash accompanying her words before she quickly looked at the photo with a bright flush. "V-Very good!" She praised holding nose while she fanned herself with the newly developed photo.

Said photo depicted the blond in a traditional schoolboy outfit complete with a little backpack as he stared innocently into the camera with a little fox plush stuffed in his arms. His big blue shined in the light while his pouty lips were stuck out in a quizzical expression that was just adorable. She placed it with the rest of the photos in that set which included one of him lying on his stomach drawing in a picture book with a soft smile and another of him pouting while fussing with his tie.

Not to mention some more… selective poses that she hurriedly locked away

"O-Okay to the next outfit!" She declared holding out the next set of clothes for him.

He nodded and grabbed the next item.

…

"Raww, I'm a monster"

"Y-Yes a little m-monster!" More flashes illuminated the room as Ark slammed the button of her camera as quickly as she could capturing every moment. "Very scary!" She praised snapping more pictures.

"Hehe."

This time he was dressed in a monster onesie, she said it was based off a movie that was apparently pretty popular in Japan called "_Gōjira_". He gave a toothy smile as he swayed the tail of the costume from side to side imagining that he was knocking over buildings like some kind of giant while off to the side Ark giggled madly.

Her album had expanded with new pictures, some were of the blond posing with his mouth wide open in a "fearsome" roar showing off his slightly longer than average teeth, while others depicted the blond curled up napping like a little dog, and now a few of him happily stomping around shaking his rear from side to side with a maniacal grin of a monster tearing through a city.

_She could die happy right now!_

"N-Next!"

…

This was the last outfit was rather fitting the approaching holiday season.

"Merry Christmas!" He cheered holding his hands out as if he was giving out presents and of course not missing a beat the now expected flash of light accompanied his cheer. This time he was dressed up like Santa, some magical man who brought presents to people on Christmas day. A bright red Santa hat sat comfortably on his head while he was bundled up in a bright red coat and pants with little black boots. He even got a little white mustache that tickled his lip!

"M-Merry Christmas indeed!" She huffed her nose now stuffed by bloody tissues but it did little to deter her from snapping pictures of the sight. "N-Now for the swim-"

_**BANG!**_

"Suit… _**C-Commander?!**_"

"Ark Royal, would you care to explain yourself?" Mirai sighed as she stepped into the room, Takao, Atago, Sheffield, and Belfast flanking her on each side while the now fearful carrier quickly dove behind the still santafied Naruto who was happily waving at the sight of his big sisters.

"Hi, Commander!" He greeted quickly walking over and hugging the woman who chuckled seeing his costume but returned the hug nonetheless.

"Hello Naruto, how are you?" She asked sending a side glance towards the cowering carrier who was currently on the receiving end of Sheffield coldest glare while Bel merely shook her head in exasperation having expected something like this the moment she heard about it. Takao was unsure how to feel while Ataago was off shamelessly rounding up a few of the photos strewn about the floor while giggling to herself.

"I'm good, Ark-nee and I had a lot of fun!" He grinned and made his way over to the carrier and gently pat her trembling form. "She has a lot of cool outfits and we took lots of pictures, I got to be a little monster!"

"Really?" She inspected one of the photos and had to admit they were very well done and for the most part innocent enough. Perhaps they had been a bit too hasty in barging in as they had.

"Well it's time to go, Akagi is tearing up the dorms looking for you so say goodbye to everyone."

He nodded and quickly ran over each of the royals and gave them a quick hug, even Ark who blushed furiously at the sudden contact but returned the gesture with equal if not greater fervor.

"Bye Sheffy, Bel-nee, Ark-nee!" He waved as they left, leaving the Royals alone.

…

"I'm going to shoot you for lying to me you know that."

"I understand and have no regrets." Ark sighed tucking a very specific picture into her pocket happily even as the pissed maid stalked ever closer.

_It was worth it._

* * *

**AN. Chapter Complete!**

**Okay so this chapter went way longer than it was supposed to but oh well I guess that just means more for you to read. As always, I am happy people are enjoying the story so much and I hope this was another enjoyable chapter for you, a lot was going on and a lot of new faces made their first appearances and I think they were quite memorable.**

**I wanted to try a different approach to having Naruto meet other characters since I wasn't wholly satisfied with the last chapter but I had already set up that kind of meeting so I was stuck. This time I went for more isolated incidents that allowed me to cycle through some characters without having them tripping over each other, Hood and Prince of Wales for the ballroom, Vampire for the gardens, and Ajax, Nelson, and Ark Royal for the dorms.**

**I also wanted to try having Naruto on the backfoot for once, normally characters fall in love with his adorable size and mannerisms but I didn't want Naruto to be the only that could affect them but I also want the girls to be able to affect him. Like how he was enraptured by Illustrious I tried a similar style with Prince in having her be more forward and "playboy" like or having vampire play a more in charge sort of seductress. I still will have Naruto have certain girls fall to his charm but I see no harm in Naruto falling to their charm either.**

**Anyway, this chapter was long so I'm not going to talk a lot in here, I'll either do an update addressing questions or I'll just PM people answers to specific questions. If you don't have PM's open then I'll answer those questions in the next chapter.**

**Anyway, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday! (Also I apologize for any typing errors I am sick as I write this so I'll fix any glaring problems where I can)**


	8. Update

**Hello! It certainly has been a while since we last spoke and for that, I apologize, before I begin I want to say that sincerely do hope all of you have been staying safe with everything going on in the world.**

**So, you've all had a lot of questions about the Azur Lane set of stories and I want to answer those since I realize not saying anything has only invited more questions. Obviously neither Blurring the Lines nor A Rising Storm have been updated in a while and that has begged the question of why not? Since I am clearly active in writing another story it's not like I've been gone or anything else that would prevent me from writing chapters for them. Well, the answer to that is two-fold with one major and one minor reason.**

**The minor reason being that I just have been working on a different story that has caught my attention and so every other story has been neglected for a bit. This tends to happen whenever I write something new and it usually passes as I burn myself out from one idea then take a break to work on something else for a bit. Essentially me just indulging in my own creative process I guess.**

**The major reason, however, is one that is far more problematic in regards to coming back to these fics specifically and that is that Azur Lane's story or rather lack of coherent story has sort of killed much of my motivation to try and tell it. I still enjoy the game and its characters but the storytelling has pretty much stalled me out. Event after event of no questions getting answered and cliffhanger after cliffhanger with no resolution in sight makes trying to tell anything regarding this game's story a pain in the ass. Now, some will reasonably say "You are a writer, make something up!" and I might have agreed if I had even the slightest hint of tangible motivation for these characters. People who have played the game will understand what I mean when I say most of the time we don't even have a clue what's going on beyond "beat up the mean siren" and that's just frustrating when you then try and sit down and say "Okay time to write a story around these events except I have no clue when this event takes place, what's really going on in the background, or what timeline this is even in since nothing is done in order". **

**For A Rising Storm, this is a bit more problematic since it is more story-heavy from the outset compared to BTL. BTL I'm half debating on rewriting to just be a slice of life "here have a shota-Naruto to spoil and be cute with and ignore the threats of the outside world since lord knows that's all a mess". ARS, on the other hand, I still have a few ideas for but it's more of delaying the inevitable.**

**I know these aren't super satisfying answers and a lot of people aren't going to like I'm just expressing my thoughts on it. Does that mean these stories are abandoned or discontinued, not at all but they also aren't a high priority right now either. I'm still thinking about and working on it.**

**Anyway, I just wanted to give some kind of update on these fics because I do continue to get questions on them and I didn't want to just never answer those. I also ask that if you have questions or complaints that you don't go leaving those in the reviews of my other stories but just ask me here or through a private message, I will try to answer where I can so make sure to check your inbox if you ask something as I may have responded. **

**As always do try and stay safe in these crazy times!**


	9. Hearts of Iron

_**-Last Chapter-**_

_"Like this?" He asked._

_"Y-Yes just like that!" She squealed a bright flash accompanying her words before she quickly looked at the photo with a bright flush. "V-Very good!" She praised holding nose while she fanned herself with the newly developed photo._

_Said photo depicted the blond in a traditional schoolboy outfit complete with a little backpack as he stared innocently into the camera with a little fox plush stuffed in his arms. His big blue shined in the light while his pouty lips were stuck out in a quizzical expression that was just adorable. She placed it with the rest of the photos in that set which included one of him lying on his stomach drawing in a picture book with a soft smile and another of him pouting while fussing with his tie._

_Not to mention some more… selective poses that she hurriedly locked away… _

_"Ark Royal, would you care to explain yourself?"_

_**~Present~**_

_Silence._

For once in what felt like years she was treated to the now unfamiliar embrace of quiet tranquility. There were no imminent threats to face, no bureaucrats on her case demanding resources or extra patrols, and best of all there were no mountains of paperwork for her to fill out! She could just relax and put her feet up, maybe even get in a small nap in if she really tried for it.

"That sounds rather nice right about now." She murmured letting out a small yawn and gently dipping the brim of her cap, tired but content eyes slowly giving way to welcome exhaustion and the whispering allure of a light afternoon snooze. She had earned that much at least, right?

…

_Poke~_

She twitched, the feeling of small pudgy digits digging into the flesh of her cheek and the slightly unnerving sensation of being stared at rupturing her fragile peace. The whispers of sweet nothings that had been so close now abruptly pulled away and in its place the bitter call of alertness now took her, it's jagged edges far less inviting than the docile smoothness of its counterpart.

Maybe if she just ignored it-

_Poke~_

Whoever it was may just-

_Poke~_

Go away-

_Poke~_

"I'm awake!" She groaned, reluctantly prying open her eyes, tired grey orbs met almost immediately by shimmering cerulean. She'd know those eyes anywhere but what they were doing in her office at this time of the day was a mystery to her, one that she'd likely find an answer to given his insistence for her attention. She idly noted that he had never been so pushy in the past… perhaps he'd begun taking a bit too much after his self-appointed sisters.

He held up his arms staring expectantly at her in that blank way of his that was equal parts cute yet demanding, it was odd to think that even when he wasn't trying to be expressive that he could still communicate desire so clearly, she chuckled to herself and with a soft grunt she lifted him up onto her lap, his cloak folding beneath his legs as he settled into his new spot between her legs and his head came to rest gently against her chest.

She spoiled him rotten but then again nearly everyone did so it wasn't as if she was the only guilty party.

"What are you doing here Naru?" She settled back into her own chair and ran her fingers softly through his hair, a chuffed smirk settling upon her face as she felt him practically melt under her hand as usual. It was a small joke among her inner circle that if the Sirens ever found out his weakness for a bit of petting they'd lose him within the day.

Not that they really believed he would be swayed so easily, at least they hoped not.

"Sheffy-nee said I should come check on you." He admitted his reasons without shame or thought, far too wrapped up in the pleasant tingle of her gloved hand playing within his golden locks. "She said you might turn into a slug without anything to do and I don't want you to turn into a slug." He muttered, pressing himself deeper into her stomach as if to ensure such a thing could never happen while also nestling in closer to the object delivering him a much-desired spoiling.

"She said that did she?…" Of course, it would be Sheffield of all people that would still somehow manage to find a way to interrupt her quiet time. It was as if the woman had a sixth sense for when she wasn't working. "I'm not actually going to turn into a slug you know? It's just a figure of speech." She assured, giving him a soft poke in his exposed stomach, smiling at the indignant manner in which he slapped her hand away.

"I know… but can't chance it." He muttered and she couldn't stop the small giggle that left her lips at his childishness. There were those that saw the Kansen as nothing more than tools of war, as things to be used and disposed of they no longer had purpose… but little quirks like these proved to her beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were clearly individuals, people the same as her or anyone else. It's why she strived to lead them as best she could because she not only fought for humanity but for them as well.

"You are too adorable." She squeezed him a bit enjoy the extra warmth he always seemed to radiate. "How about you and I go for a walk then? Get out of thid office for a bit and just enjoy the rest of my break so I don't turn into a slug, hm?"

"Can we get snacks on the walk?"

"Sure, whatever you want." She nodded.

"Mkay."

_At least he was easy to please._

…

"Okay new rule, we don't buy snacks from Akashi ever again."

Mirai grumbled as she put her now much lighter wallet away, the sound of purring and greed filled cackling echoing in the distance as the pair walked away from the supply shop, bags of assorted treats clutched in hand. If anyone needed a perfect example of why monopolies were awful they had to look no further than the only distribution center and more to the point the only real seller on the entire base.

"Money-grubbing little…"

She felt a small thump on her leg and turned her gaze downward to see Naruto looking at her disapprovingly as if he knew she was about to say some less than flattering words about their resident shopkeeper. Of all the patrons on the base, it was only the little ones that Akashi tended to go easy on, often offering them new outfits for cheap or discounts on fuel from time to time and to the unaware outsider, it was easy to mistake that as the Neko-loli having a heart of gold under all her greed.

The reality, however, was far less flattering. The reason she did that wasn't out of some level of charity or kindness but instead because there were certain parties on the island that would pay rather embarrassing amounts of money to see certain outfits worn by certain girls and recently one boy.

_Off in the distance, a certain Royal Navy carrier sneezed violently before returning to her duties._

"Don't be mean Commander…" He ordered, likely thinking he was being quite serious but it was rather hard for her to keep a straight face seeing that his cheeks were covered with small bits of chocolate and sugar. Pulling out her phone she couldn't help but snap a quick picture for prosperity's sake and laughing as he began to repeatedly thump at her leg in childish anger at her casual dismissal of his authority or lack thereof.

The fact that if he so wished he could very well vaporize her seemed so distant when he was like this.

"Alright I'm sorry, now please stop beating up my legs." She giggled taking him by the hand to pause his "assault".

"Hmph." He huffed but conceded nonetheless, allowing her to lead him and continue the rest of their walk in peace, or at least as much peace as they could get given the number of people that stopped to converse with them. It was rare for her to leave her office so early in the day and to say their little half-siren was popular would be an understatement so naturally, it wasn't too surprising then that they were interrupted fairly often along the way. Most just came to say hello and make a bit of idle conversation which was perfectly fine, while others had arrived with some less than noble intentions.

_One such soul having just gotten past and her watch._

When he'd gotten acquainted with the Iron Blood's wasn't exactly known to her but to say he was fond of the beer-loving sharks would be a seriously gross understatement. No, Naruto absolutely _adored_ the girls of Iron Blood, to the point where he'd often sneak away only to be found hours later smelling of metal polish and alcohol, thankfully they had the good sense not to actually give him any or lord knows the fit Takao would have. Returning to her previous point though, it was safe to say that he was enthralled by the faction and few key members of it in particular such as U-47, Tirpitz, Z46, _Graf Zeppelin_ of all people, and a few others.

One of which being none other than…

"Vielen Dank~" Prinz Eugen chirped happily, amber orbs twinkling with amusement as she happily seated the now animated young boy within her lap, said child taking the time to feed the German heavy cruiser various sweets which she graciously accepted in exchange for a bit of pampering. Honestly, she might as well not even been there given the pair were almost completely caught up with one another to the point she doubted they would have noticed if she simply decided to leave. While Eugen was certainly one of the more friendly girls under her command, the speed at which the two had bonded was matched only by a few others, namely Akagi and Atago, who had both taken an immediate shine to him.

"Ahem." She coughed.

"Ah, apologies Commander I did not see you there." Eugen apologized demurely, all the while shooting a knowing smile that told her that statement was a complete lie and held up a hand in greeting while her other kept her new "toy" securely flush against her chest. "I hope you are well this fine day."

Rolling her eyes at the Hipper-class she nodded her way. "I am, you seem to be in rather good spirits yourself." She deadpanned privy to the way Eugen practically seemed to glow at the moment.

"Am I?" Her response was phrased like a question but it was far too coy to be anything but guilty. "Perhaps it has something to do with little Kuma-chan here." Her fingers dug gently into the whiskered cheek of the blond in her lap who released a small squeak at the sensation of her digit running over his skin. "Is that right little bear?~"

"Not a bear." Naruto pouted at her nickname for him but that did little to stop him from greedily accepting her affections, something she no doubt knew given her rather physical methods of interacting with him. Then again Eugen had always been one of the more "intimate" girls when it came to teasing or showing her affection for others such as how she would often grope her sister only to complain about her lack of development in certain areas.

It was little wonder why Hipper was as high strung as she was.

"No? How about Usagi-chan?" She suggested and he shook his head again.

"Not a rabbit."

"Ah, I see… what about Kitsune-chan." She mused and at that, he paused a sudden flash of remembrance flittering by and a well of emotion surging up for a split second, words there were not his own burning through his thoughts like wildfire.

"_You aren't just the nine-tailed fox anymore, you're my partner from here on out!" A loud but caring voice declared, conviction and passion entrenched so deeply in so few words that it was almost damning to ignore them. _

"_**Tsk… still as presumptuous as ever you damn brat. Keh, just don't disappoint me or I'll take my power back"**_

"_Hehe, you're all heart aren't you Kura-"_

"Ne, do you not like that one either?" Prinz's voice cut through the haze that had fallen over him and the feelings of joy receded like the tide, the lingering warmth of its presence still echoing on the sands of his mind.

"Ano… foxes are good." He said simply and Eugen laughed.

"I'm sure Lady Kaga and Lady Akagi would be flattered." She giggled, it was unsurprising that he would welcome any comparison to his sister figures. "Very well, little fox it is then." She then turned to the Commander. "Would you like a name too Commander?~" She asked the familiar twinkle of mischief in her eyes that most had come to associate the white-haired woman with.

Mirai held up her hands. "I think I'll pass."

"Such a shame." She stuck out her tongue playfully.

"I'm sure it is." She took a moment to glance at her watch and quietly cursed, she'd spent far too long out of the office by now she'd likely missed more than a few calls and goodness knows how much paperwork. "Eugen would you mind watching Naru for me, I have to get back to the office." She asked not wanting to just up and leave him on his own.

"Not at all~" Eugen smiled and rested her chin upon the crown of his head. "What do you think about spending the rest of the day with me?"

"Are we going to see Hipper-nee?"

"Fufu, if that is what you'd like."

"Mhm." He turned to the Commander and waved. "Bye Commander, don't turn into a slug."

"I promise I won't." She chuckled, returning his wave and turning to leave before shooting one last comment toward his new watcher for the rest of the afternoon. "Eugen behave yourself."

"I'll not be making any such promises Commander but your suggestion has been noted~" She gave a cheeky grin at the glare sent her way and the pair watched as their leader slowly made her way into the distance before finally disappearing over the horizon.

"Well then, I think it's time we depart lest we waste such a promising opportunity. There is much to do and so little time to do it in." Eugen stood and carried her new cargo in hand, his small frame and weight making it rather easy for her to carry him. "Shall we depart?" She asked.

"Mhm!" He nodded.

**[ The Iron Blood Dorms ] **

The home of the Iron Bloods was… unique, to say the least.

If one possessed an understanding of the faction as a whole then they would likely say the decor was rather fitting for a group that placed as much emphasis on military strength and image. Deep shades of red accented by swaths of black colored the halls in an impressive yet intimidating display, the walls were spartan in nature lacking the sheer vibrancy of color that defined the Sakura dorms or beautiful arrangements of fine art that made walking through the Royal Navy dorms like visiting an art museum.

No, the walls of their home were donned with weapons. All manner of tools designed solely for war and a reflection of how the Iron Bloods viewed themselves, at least to some extent. It would not be a stretch to envision their living quarters as an armory. A place where when the flags of incoming conflict peeked over the horizon would be the first place soldiers should flock to.

It was this idea that made other factions somewhat wary of their German allies. Their might in battle was not to be underestimated and the idea of retreat was nearly sinful in their eyes meaning most would fight until they simply could no longer physically do so, their pride as warriors made them respected allies and feared opponents and it was no understatement to say that their presence within the organization was a great boon to humanity.

Even then, it did little to stop Naruto from wandering about the place without so much as a care. His gaze wandering from medieval swords to the many firearms that practically littered the place. He may not have loved conflict but there was something about weaponry of all kinds that just naturally drew his eye.

"Come along Naru-chan, I believe I heard my dear sister somewhere around here." Eugen called out to him and he quickly returned to her side leaving the cases of arms alone for the moment in favor following his guide. True enough the sound of chatter could be heard throughout the halls, some familiar to him and others foreign.

There were still many faces he'd yet to meet given that he'd spent the majority of his time here with Eugen.

"Hipper~" Eugen sang with merriment as she practically kicked the door to their room in with her entrance. "I have a surprise for you~" She hummed with amusement at the sight of her dear sister sprawled out along the floor holding her head. It appeared as if her entrance may have startled her.

_Oops._

"Damn it, Eugen, why did you do that?!" Hipper groaned from her position on the floor eyeing her sister with visible annoyance as she rested a palm over her rapidly beating heart, it wasn't the first time Eugen had done that but it was just as upsetting as ever. "What the hell is so important-"

"Hipper-nee!"

Eugen laughed joyously as Hipper's words were cut off by the blond blur slamming into her slowly rising form, her body once again hitting the floor with a deep thump as she was caught completely unaware and unprepared, green eyes practically swirling from the force of impact.

"Oi, what the!-" Hipper glanced down only to be meet with gleeful blue eyes mere inches away from her own, almost immediately her face grew flush with embarrassment and indignation as she registered the small body straddling her own and said embarrassment only grew worse as Eugen's teasing laugher became increasing vocal though it was nearly drowned out by the sound of blood rushing through her ears.

"I missed you Hipper-nee!"

"G-Get off of me right now!" She hissed trying vainly to remove the new addition to her person but utterly failing as his grip only tightened around her, his determination to remain attached superseding her desire to remove him. "W-Why are you even here? Eugen stop laughing and help me!"

"I would never ruin such a tender moment." Prinz smiled serenely and sat herself down on a nearby chair, resting her cheek in her palm as she watched the proceedings with thinly disguised mirth. "It is rare for someone so endearing to greet a prickly person like you so earnestly, you should be happy." She commented, she loved her sister more than anything but the girl had a talent for putting her foot in her mouth. It was a wonder that she hadn't run the boy off yet.

"There is no way I'd be happy about this, not even the slightest bit!" Hipper hissed her face still quite red as she tried, rather weakly for a girl of her strength, to pry him off of her. "Let go of me, i-idiot!"

"Mou…" Naruto tapped her cheek with his hand and pouted. "Hipper-nee is being a tsun again."

"I-I am not!" She tried to argue, she was not tsun damn it! She didn't like being hugged or call nee-chan, not at all, not even a tiny bit!

Eugen nodded. "You are being pretty tsun right now." She agreed cheekily.

"No one asked you!" She growled.

"Be nice." Another tap against her cheek.

"Stop treating me like a dog!"

"I'd say she's more like a cat." Eugen tapped her chin in faux contemplation. "A gluttonous creature who believes the world should praise her for the simplest of accomplishments." She shook her head. "Worse yet, even when she's being showered with such pure attention she can't even nr honest with herself about it, such a difficult girl." Eugen teased.

"T-That's not true at all, shut up!" Hipper was nearly scarlet by the point. "I don't want any attention from anyone, especially not him!"

"Good kitty." Naruto praised rubbing his cheek against her own and softly rubbing against her skin, putting the final nail in the coffin for the poor cruiser. Hipper let out a noise somewhere between a scream of frustration and a shout of defeat before slumping over despondently, the onslaught of teasing and affection simply overwhelming her.

Such was the curse of being a tsundere

"Ano… we broke Hipper-nee…" He let go of the cruiser and moved her head onto his lap, gently stroking her hair as if to apologize to the now unconscious blond.

"She'll be fine, perhaps this will be a lesson in honesty for her." Eugen did not appear fussed in the slightest about the condition of her sister. "Until she wakes up though I shall go fetch us some refreshments." Eugen giggled and stood from her seat, "I will return shortly."

Naruto watched her leave, a clear skip to her step being an obvious indication of her mood before he turned his attention back onto the sleeping girl resting upon his lap and he rested a gentle hand upon her face. Hipper-nee was really cute like Nelson-nee, but Nelson didn't pass out when he visited her like Hipper did.

She just carried him around and complained a lot but Rodney-nee told him that meant she liked him. Hipper didn't carry him around but she would watch over him and complain a lot too which must have meant that she liked him as well.

"I like you too Hipper-nee." He said cheerfully and somehow even while unconscious Hipper's face gained a slightly pink tinge to it and if one listened closely they could almost make out some faint mutterings.

"Doesn't…make me happy… at all…"

…

At some point, it became clear that Hipper wasn't going to wake up anytime soon and so Eugen had invited him to meet more of their warmongering family. The first of which had been the so-called "Ugly Sisters' Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, the two battlecruisers had been quite interested in meeting the battleship though for wildly different reasons.

Gneisenau, a researcher at heart, was far more fascinated by the process which had birthed him than she was with the boy himself and she had made it clear that she wished to put him through a few tests to accurately measure how he stood up against their own artillery. While he didn't really get why she was curious about such a thing he had no issues with the request and promised her a demonstration some other time. Scharnhorst, on the other hand, was far more interested in testing him in battle. She had a lot of pride in her position as a battlecruiser and she wanted to see if he was really worth all the time that must have gone into putting him together. Having learned from Kaga not to show weakness in front of a potential opponent, he had met her challenge directly and the two were set to have a bout sometime in the near future as a means to kill two birds with one stone.

After that, he'd gotten to meet a few new faces such as more of the Z-line of destroyers. He personally still thought it was a bit strange that they were all referred to by numbers such as Z21 or Z36 but they seemed perfectly content with it for the most.

However, according to Eugen he'd still yet to meet all of the most interesting members. A point she had made while dragging him towards a rather beaten up section of the dorm.

_Where those bullet holes?_

He had little time to ruminate on that however before a cackling voice rang out through the air.

"Hahahaha! Run, run like the ants you are!" A shrill voice trilled in open jubilation, the sound of another shell being fired into the air ringing in their ears as Eugen opened the door to what appeared to be like a training area. The room was surprisingly empty with the sole exception of one occupant who was shooting at practice targets, a smoking red pistol clutched tightly in her hand.

She also had a rather smug look on her face for someone fighting practice dummies.

"Deutschland, please control yourself, you're frightening the children." Eugen coughed, stifling a laugh into her palm as the rather petite girl whirled around at the sudden intrusion, her weapon leveled at them before she seemed to realize what she was doing and a dark scowl crossed her rather shark-like features, sharp jagged teeth grinding in annoyance.

"Eugen, how dare you sneak up on me!"

"We did no such thing, perhaps you were just too busy asserting your dominance over the "ants" as you were saying." She sent a bemused glance towards the now thoroughly torn up training dolls and Deutschland's face turned slightly red before she quickly shook it off and marched forward, the click of her combat boots echoing through the mostly empty room.

"Tsk, how insolent." She turned up her nose at the taller cruiser before her gaze wandered and she caught sight of the child at her side. Cerulean blue orbs met ocean blue in a slight stare down before Deutschland looked back towards Eugen. "Who is this pup?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"This here is Naruto, or Naru-chan, or Kitsune-chan whichever you'd prefer." Eugen placed a hand on his head. "He is one of the newer additions to our family, isn't he just adorable?" She grinned and patted the boy's fat cheeks earning a soft whine for her actions.

"Hmph, Spee is cuter." Deutschland countered before eyeing him up. "He doesn't look like much either." She pointed out, judging that he was probably just another weakling destroyer despite being only a bit smaller than herself.

"Sassy midget." He noted and Eugen couldn't stop herself from giggling at the blunt assertion while Deutschland growled at the blatant disrespect.

"Watch what you say or I will erase you!" She hissed. "Also you are smaller than me so that makes you less than a midget!"

"Nyeh." He stuck his tongue out at her and Eugen watched with bemusement as Deutschland returned the gesture, the pair becoming locked in a battle of faces and childish name-calling that was unbefitting of their power. Granted, Deutschland had always been somewhat of a child given the way most would rather submit to her eccentricities than deal with her pestering, not to say she wasn't powerful or deserving of respect but she could be a bit of a diva.

She had earned the name Demon Princess for a reason.

"Grr… Eugen, move away so that I may put this animal in his place!" She ordered flexing her trigger finger, her hand cannon heating up a bit in response to her anger as if already prepared to exert its master's will.

"Come now, no fighting." She rested a palm on the girl's shoulder. "Naru-chan is plenty strong so you shouldn't mock him."

"Hmph, I'll believe it when I see it." Deutschland scowled and at that Eugen seemed to pause and tap her chin in thought, their earlier conversation with Scharnhorst springing to mind as an idea formed.

"Hmm, then perhaps a demonstration is in order." Eugen gave a disarming smirk. "I believe the beach is free at the moment so perhaps a friendly spar might help you two better understand one another." After all the girls of Iron Blood thrived on combat and the surest way to earn their respect was to prove one's strength. It was also the surest way to make yourself a target but that little detail wasn't important at the moment~

"Ha! I shall show you how below me you really are peasant!" Deutschland gave a wide grin eager to assert her place as one the Iron Bloods' strongest.

"That's the spirit." Prinz nodded before turning to look down at the boy clutching her hand. "How about you Naru-chan, are you up to a bit of friendly competition?"

He thought on it for a moment before he shrugged and nodded, there was no harm in it and he had gotten a lot stronger with help from his sisters and running missions. This would be a decent test if nothing else.

"Then it's settled."

"Yes, I hope you are prepared to meet despair." Deutschland snapped and he narrowed his eyes at her. She was too smug, he didn't like it… it felt like she was mocking him.

"No you."

"Insolent little!-"

"Save it for the match you two." Eugen interjected, shaking her head while the pair huffed in annoyance. Well, Deutschland huffed Naruto merely maintained his usual blank expression but his cheeks were slightly puffed out hinting that he was pouting also.

_She had such interesting comrades._

_**[ Down by the Beach, training Area ]**_

Naruto leaned on the balls of his feet just above the ocean's surface, the waters were calm today and the sun was shining brightly with only a few clouds in sight. He wished that Akagi-nee and Kaga-nee were here with him, they liked it when things were calm like this...

"Oi, don't you go dozing off over there!"

_Well, mostly calm anyway._

Eugen allowed her gaze to drift between the two combatants, truthfully she had never seen the Hybrid in live combat although she had heard that he was not to be underestimated under any circumstances. Now she was not one to talk stock in mere rumors but she couldn't deny a slight curiosity pricking at her thoughts, the desire to see what he could really do against a more skilled opponent. She had fought alongside Deutschland many times and knew that the heavy cruiser wasn't a pushover, a bit sloppy perhaps, but strong nonetheless and certainly not one to be underestimated.

So how did one of their "Pocket Battleships" stack against the real deal, much less a Siren?

"Remember this is a _friendly _match." She stressed the word friendly prompting Deutschland to scoff but nod reluctantly. Naruto also nodded though he only seemed to be half paying attention more interested in fiddling with his cloak over actually listening to her.

_Cheeky little thing he was._

"Alright, then you may begin!"

Deutschland wasted no time in summoning her riggings, a bright flare of crimson energy rolling off of her as the familiar and feared maw of the Iron Bloods predatory armor flashed into existence around her and the dull thrum of her their inner engines firing to life creating a low roar that sent small shockwaves out from her position. Her long midnight black hair billowed in the wind created by the release and her eyes filled with the familiar rush that only battle could provide.

In less than a second, a salvo of molten hot explosive rounds crossed the distance between her and her opponent, the speed of which carved small trenches into the once gentle turned violent waves. The bright orange glow of the compacted explosive were practically blinding at close range and left a trail of gorgeous orange streaks in its wake.

Naruto for his part didn't bother to move, simply waiting for the barrage to reach him.

_**BOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

Deutschland grinned mightily as her salvo hit home bathing the area in a rush of heat and a spray of scalding seawater, steam poured from the impact sight obscuring both her and Eugen's view of the blond but the shockwave of her attack assured her that she had been a success, the violent tremble of the waves beneath her feet a result of her own power and the familiar sense of strength flooded her veins. The Deutschland-class were known for their overwhelming amount of firepower despite being simple cruisers, it is how they'd earned the nickname, pocket battleships.

"Hahahaha! One shot was all it took!" She held out a hand and clenched her fist in pride. "How foolish of you that you'd try and stand before me with such… pitiful… strength?" Her taunts of victory quickly shifted towards confusion and uncertainty as the cloud of steam began to lift and a rather daunting outline could be seen through the eroding screen of heat and vapor.

Tempered blackened steel cannons emerged proudly from the shroud, chrome-tipped barrels shining brightly in the sunlight as the residual drops of water ran down the length of the massive cannons. As the last hints of steam and smoke were blown away in the breeze an ebony fortress of weaponry sprung forth into the light, light scorch marks were on the front ends of the heavy armor plating but otherwise, no substantial damage could be seen.

_How was that even possible?!_

"Scary…" Naruto frowned, his guns slowly swiveling as if tracking their new aggressor and even for as stalwart and bullish as she was, Deutschland couldn't help but take a small step back as the massive cannons focused on her.

"How?-"

"Fire." Naruto didn't let her finished and the air around them practically ruptured as gunpowder billowed out into the air and two sparking purple rounds plowed their way forward far faster than Deutschland could reasonably prepare for, her armor instinctively shifting to protect her but even without looking she could tell that even her hull wasn't thick enough to negate such power and she felt herself skidding back just barely avoiding being knocked off her feet. It felt as if she'd just been hit by Tirpitz and there was no way he was strong as her!

_Right?_

The ringing in her ears finally stopped and with a small breath, she hesitantly lowered part of her rigging to inspect the damage, and sure enough, there was a deep trough carved into the side of her armor. If her armor class had been anything weaker it would have utterly crumpled under that attack.

"Again."

Not sure she could take another shot like that again she dived to the left, the second round of lead passing by with a harsh rush of air before slamming harmlessly into the waters below in a jet of displaced mist. Her somehow still functioning turret turned and fired a few rounds in rebuttal but like before he made no move to dodge, simply tanking the hit with his hull plating before returning fire forcing her to keep moving unless she wanted to be on the receiving end of his devastating ammunition.

Growling to herself at the unexpected result she launched a torpedo barrage his way, the Iron Blood preference for acoustic guided ballistics meant that she could fire them without needing to aim much. A perfect counter for speedy and evasive enemies and hopefully, a decent distraction for an unyielding tank as well.

Naruto from behind his metal blanket blinked as he sensed multiple objects quickly homing in on his position from beneath the waves and swiftly halted his fire, bracing himself just in time as explosions detonated just beneath his feet. The harsh spay of water that burst forth from the depths whipped at his body feeling like lashes upon his skin and he hissed a bit as he fought to steady himself from the rocky waves. Blue eyes narrowed and grew tinged with golden flecks while his armory seemed to ready up in response, his main and secondary guns pointing towards the sky like hands seeking to grab the heavens.

"Rain fire." He ordered.

The command was given and the sky lit up in a stunning display of artillery, beautifully trails of violet light arced into the open air, no doubt anyone paying even a passing bit of attention would likely have caught sight of such a spectacle. Even Deutschland couldn't help but be momentarily stunned by the display, her eyes following the light trails all the way to what seemed like the very edges like the clouds, it was if he meant to pierce the divide between man and God.

However, awe quickly gave way to fear as those same trails of captivating destruction began to descend, specifically towards _her _position. Iron Bloods may have despised the word retreat but at the moment she didn't much care all that much for such petty complaints, not when she was faced with such ridiculous firepower.

It took gravity mere moments to pull the energy-packed shells right back down to earth and the waves were rocked by explosion after explosion, flashes of light strong enough to be seen even from a distance illuminating the murky depths below while above small geysers erupted from each impact point shooting high into the air before raining down like a monsoon.

_And she was at the center of it all._

To her credit, she had managed to avoid _most_ of the attack, seeing as the maneuver was clearly designed to be used on groups and not single targets. However, that wasn't to say she made it out unscathed either.

A single round had detonated just below her feet, the buffer of the water thankfully sparing her the pain of direct hit but the force was strong enough to launch her high into the air, her now worn down and damaged riggings vanishing as the concentration needed to maintain it escaped her and she was sent careening into free fall, her body poised to land in the frothing seas below…

At least until something caught her, two arms wrapping securely around her legs and waist and hoisting her up before she could take the expected plunge. Eugen must have taken pity on her, no doubt wearing that insufferable grin of hers that could drive even the most devout saint into a fit of blind rage. She half debated even opening her eyes if only to avoid looking at it but the instinct to take stock of her surroundings acted far faster than her pride.

Only upon opening her eyes, she was not met the teasing smirk of her fellow Blood sister, but rather two relaxed sapphire orbs looking at her with something akin to amusement and respect.

"That was fun."

She blinked and looked down, sure enough despite his small stature he'd somehow managed to catch her just moments before she could hit the water, She couldn't even feel him struggling under her weight, instead, he merely seemed content to claim his win and begin the walk back to the sands.

With her still in his arms.

She flushed in embarrassment, whether that was due to the fact that she had lost after such large talk or because she was receiving the famed "princess carry" that she'd heard about and may or may not have wanted to experience for herself… was hard to say.

"I win." He grinned and her cheeks lit up even further.

"T-That was a fluke! It means nothing, I was just taking it easy on you!" She growled her pride clearly wounded at such a quick and humiliating defeat.

"Nope, I won."

"Do you not listen! I let you win, you should be grateful to me!"

"You are like Hipper-nee…" He complained, noting the similarities between the girl in his arms and the blond admiral. Both were loud and really pushy, plus her face was all red just like Hipper-nee's was earlier.

Maybe she was a tsun too?

_Deutschland, however, did not care for such a comparison, granted for a completely different reason._

"Are you calling me flat!? Insolent dog, I'll feed you to the pigs!"

Eugen could only watch with unshed tears of laugher in her eyes as the pair bickered like children all the way back to the shore. Best of all was that Deutschland, for all her shouting and threats, made no move to try to stand on her own and instead allowed herself to be carried all the way back by the victor like she was some kind of damsel out of a fairy tale.

_She truly was a spoiled little brat._

* * *

**AN. Chapter complete!**

**Surprise! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, especially after yesterday's news. I want to say that I had no plans of writing this so soon but I really wanted to express my appreciation to those people that were not only very understanding of my reasoning but also supportive and kind even in the face of less than stellar news. When I posted that AN yesterday I was truthfully expecting a lot of negativity but by and large most of you were very kind and I can't understate how much I appreciated that. Of course, there were people who were disappointed and expressed that in less than amazing ways but most of you were fair and expressed hope that I would continue both the AL fics which I plan to.**

**I did mention in the AN that neither BTL or ARS were being discontinued and I meant that, this chapter also shouldn't be seen as me walking back on the fact that I said for the moment they will be lower on my priority list. I would like to think of this chapter as a promise to you that I still have ideas I want to explore and that I still have things I want to do with this fic as well as ARS, I just hope you can be patient with me!**

**Anyway, we did a lot here, I did say that I was thinking of rewriting the story in a way that was more slice of life style and this is sort of my attempt at that. I don't plan on creating a whole new story rather just tweaking plot points and the focus of the fic, at worst I may rewrite some of the early chapters and replace them to better fit that shift. **

**In other news, we got to finally meet some of the Iron Bloods which I know many of you were waiting on and two of my favorites in the form of Prinz Eugen and Deutschland. As well as good old tsundere Hipper and the "Ugly Sisters" who will probably be fleshed out later with some other faces like Nimi/Z23 and Bismark following when we look at how Naruto met the Iron Bloods (I have a whole thing planned with all the starter destroyers that I need to flesh out more but it'll be cute). We also had a small moment with the Commander who I hadn't really shown in a while so I wanted them to have a little something as well, it was short but I do want to give them a longer scene in the future.**

**Obviously this leaves only the Eagle Union left to introduce and I know people have been waiting for that, especially Enterprise. Anyway, I'll leave it there but I hope you enjoyed this like I said this was a thank you for the support and while I don't know when I'll get another chapter in, I want you to know that I won't forget these stories so easily! Stay safe and I'll see you next time!**


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